Second Chances
by hellocaraaa
Summary: After Kyra lost her best friend in the battle of Hogwarts, she decided to start over in an American wizarding university. Her fresh start gets complicated when she realizes Draco Malfoy is also looking for a second chance.
1. Prologue

Prologue

Kyra closed her eyes, letting a deep sigh pass her lips. It was all she could do to hold herself together. She could feel the tears threatening to fall and knew if she let them, they would never stop. Chelsea's parents were only a few feet from her and she had sworn to be brave for them. After a few moments, Kyra opened her eyes; half hoping that when she looked up, everything would be different. She bit her lip, realizing it was still there. Chelsea's casket was ten feet from her, the headstone beside it reading her name and last week's date. Kyra inhaled sharply, the tears pricking at the back of her eyes. Chelsea's picture was displayed on the other side of the grave. She was wearing her uniform, the yellow and black colors of her tie just barely visible. A smile played at Kyra's lips as she remembered how long it had taken to get her to smile for the picture.

Chelsea had always been difficult. She was stubborn and independent and incredibly quick witted. Kyra had spent nearly twenty minutes taking her picture, trying desperately to get her to smile. It wasn't until someone behind her had made a joke that Kyra was able to get one of Chelsea smiling. That was nearly four months ago.

Kyra's eyes flicked back to the casket and she couldn't hold the tears back anymore. Her best friend was gone and she would never be able to hear her laugh again. She could still hear her scream echoing in the back of her mind. She could still picture her lifeless body on the ground, covered in rubble. The only thing she saw when she closed her eyes was Chelsea's face, pale and unmoving.

"Kyra?" Her mother's voice snapped her into reality. She glanced up to see the coffin had already been lowered into the ground and there was a man looking expectantly at her, "It's your turn darling." Kyra gulped and stepped forward, her legs turning to jello. The world was moving in slow motion as she bent down to grab a handful of dirt. She could hardly feel her hands as she took a deep breath and tossed the dirt onto the coffin. She closed her eyes again, squeezing them shut. It was fruitless, as the tears streamed down her face. She hastily brushed the dirt off against her legs and stepped back. She could hardly see as the tears clouded her eyes. She was really gone. Chelsea was dead.

The rest of the funeral passed in a blur. After saying her goodbyes and listening to dozens of condolences, her parents finally ushered Kyra out the door. She retreated to her bedroom as soon as they arrived back at the house, throwing herself onto her bed, curling up in a puddle of tears again. She picked the letter up off her nightstand, holding it close, rereading it again. _'Dear Ms. Kyra Harding, we are pleased to inform you of your admission to Fanderbold University of Witchcraft and Wizardry'._ The war was over. The Battle of Hogwarts had changed everything. It was time for a new start. It was time to leave London behind and forget about this life. Chelsea and Kyra had always dreamed of starting over in America. This would be her new beginning.


	2. Chapter 1

"WELCOME FRESHMEN TO THE FANDERBOLD UNIVERSITY OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY" The words were illuminated above the towering building. It was freshman orientation at the college. Kyra stared up at the looming granite statue of Theobod Merkin, the school's founder. His head was swiveling to follow the students as they passed. She kept her head down and continued into the school, following the steady stream of students. The students came to a halt in an enormous room with five long tables. Three of the walls were entirely covered in windows, the fourth containing the door. Kyra studied the room carefully, taking in the beauty. Just outside the back wall was a picturesque lake, an enormous bridge passing over it. A forest filled the view out the wall on the far end of the room, extending forward along the edge of the front.

The students were milling about, some sitting at the tables. Leaning against the wall, Kyra glanced around; everyone seemed to have their groups. It was incredibly clear that the majority of the students had gone to school together beforehand. Nervously scanning the room, she tried to identify anyone she'd been to school with at Hogwarts. While this school was supposed to be her new start, it had suddenly become very clear that she was an outsider. Kyra deeply inhaled, closing her eyes, Chelsea's voice filling her mind, mocking her for being antisocial. The smile crept to Kyra's face and she started forward, searching out someone approachable.

Kyra wandered through the room for fifteen minutes, clearly being overly skeptical, not allowing herself to chose someone to talk to. As she decided against another group of friends, she collided with someone. Apologies were pouring out of her mouth without thought as she looked up. The girl in front of her was shaking her head slightly. She was a few inches taller than Kyra, her tousled brown hair falling half way down her back. Her cheeks were rosy and cheerful as she smiled at Kyra, who mumbled out one more apology

"Hey no worries, it was an accident." She laughed it off, her American accent taking Kyra by surprise. As the girl turned to pass her, Kyra sucked in a breath; Chelsea's voice not leaving her mind.

"I'm Kyra." The words fumbled out quickly and she bit her lip. She'd never been very good at socializing. She let out an inaudible sigh of relief when the girl turned around, smiling.

"Hayden," her voice was friendly as she let out a breathy laugh, "Where are you from? I don't recognize you from Tromington." Kyra made a note to remember that was the name of the American school.

"I'm from London. I went to Hogwarts." She felt slightly more at ease as she realized the girl was continuing the conversation. Hayden's mouth pursed together slightly.

"Were you…there? Ya know, during the battle?" Kyra's chest constricted and her face fell slightly, though she quickly attempted to recover her smile. She nodded silently, unsure if she could get any words out. "What was it like? Did you see him die? I can't even imagine seeing that much action. I-" She stopped as she noticed Kyra's smile fading, "I'm sorry. It must have been terrible. I didn't mean to pry." Kyra shook her head, forcing half a laugh past her lips.

"It's alright. I just try not to think about it. It was-" Kyra was cut off as two more girls rushed over.

"Hayden!" One of them cried, "Did you see? Marcus came here too! He says he was talking to some kids he met today. They went to Hogwarts. Can you imagine?" Her voice was low and serious. She glanced over at Kyra, a flicker of a puzzled look crossing her face, "I'm Ellie." She offered Kyra her hand and shook it, slowly.

"Kyra. Did you happen to catch the names of the people from Hogwarts?" Her voice was carefully calm. She took a moment to take in their appearances. Ellie was petite, her blonde hair cut into a pageboy look. Her friend had a nervous look on her face. The tight ringlets of her hair were pulled up in a loose ponytail. Her warm mahogany skin complemented by her golden brown eyes.

"Oh…ah no he didn't mention any names," Ellie glanced over at Hayden. Kyra silently cursed herself for making everyone uncomfortable, "This is Madison," Kyra glanced quickly at her, smiling slightly, "Are you from Hogwarts too?" Ellie's tone was easing slightly. She nodded, the corner of her mouth pulling up. She opened her mouth to speak again but quickly turned as the doors to the cafeteria shut, several professors walking in.

A tall, balding Vietnamese man stood at the center. He cleared his throat and everyone looked up. His booming voice called out over the room, "Good Morning. I am Headmaster Penaval and on behalf of the entire faculty; I would like to officially welcome you to Fanderbold University. I do hope this year will be all you dreamed of. In a few moments, I will release you to claim your dorms. The dorms sleep four and are located in three primary locations. There are dorms down the stairs to the right, two floors above us, and on the fifth floor. Please claim your dorms and unpack. You are to meet in this room at noon. Lunch will be served and afterward, you will receive a tour of the university. You may go now." Kyra glanced at the girls beside her. Her stomach was tightening at the idea of fending for herself if they didn't ask her to room with them. She eased quickly as Hayden waved her toward them to the stairs.

Kyra unpacked quickly, wanting to further acquaint herself with her new roommates. They had decided to room on the bottom floor, their room looking out at the lake. She could hear the students outside their dorm filing into nearby rooms. Ellie had grabbed Marcus on their way down, quickly introducing Kyra before rushing ahead to grab two adjacent dorms. Marcus was tall, nearly a foot taller than her. He was incredibly gangly, awkward but polite. He had met Hayden, Ellie, and Madison at Tromington. They were in the same house, their equivalent of Gryffindor.

The girls' dorm consisted of a common room, two bedrooms, and a bathroom. Ellie and Madison shared theirs and Kyra roomed with Hayden. The rooms were simple, two four-poster beds and all white walls, each side with a dresser. The back wall, however, had a small window that looked out at the lake. The common room was plain, one long couch with an arm chair, pointing toward the fireplace. Along the right hand side was a small kitchen with a sink, stove, oven, and refrigerator.

After quickly stuffing her clothing into the dresser drawers, Kyra turned to Hayden. She was wracking her brain, trying to think of the right question to ask. Before she could think of anything, Hayden was talking, "So what was it like at Hogwarts?" she asked breezily, not turning her head.

Kyra stopped briefly, memories of the final year flooding her brain. She remembered the students walking around, covered in bruises from the Carrows, "It used to be good. The last year was difficult. It had been great before that, though. The best years of my life," A genuine grin rose to her face as she thought about it, "What is it like here in America?"

"It's not bad. Tromington was a good school. I made a lot of great friends there and I'm very lucky I got to go. It still seems so surreal. Both my parents are muggles. I could hardly believe it when I got my letter." Kyra laughed slightly; she couldn't imagine the kind of shock that must have been. She'd grown up with magic in her life constantly.

It was then that they heard the sound of male voices in the dorm. Kyra assumed Marcus had come over, bringing his roommates. Walking outside, she stopped short, glancing at the other boys in the room. She only saw two of them. Marcus introduced them as Eli Smuller and Derek Holden. Kyra smiled politely and introduced herself. The door creaked open then, his third roommate walking in. Kyra's heart sank immediately as she recognized the boy stalking into the room. Her head spun as Draco Malfoy walked in. Excusing herself quickly, she ran to the bathroom, throwing up as the image of Chelsea swirled in her mind. The scene was replaying itself over and over. All she could see was Lucius Malfoy sending a killing curse at her best friend.


	3. Chapter 2

Kyra had recovered quickly, the shock of seeing him wearing off. She stepped out of the bathroom, carefully avoiding eye contact with Malfoy. He had introduced himself when she came out of the bathroom and Kyra realized he didn't know who she was. She'd been silently praying that no one would mention how she went to Hogwarts but it was to no avail.

"You don't know her?" Marcus prodded, "You both went to Hogwarts. Shouldn't you at least recognize her?" Malfoy's face faltered and he studied Kyra carefully, his eyes attempting to communicate something she couldn't quite understand.

"No I don't think I've ever seen her before," He mumbled, more to Marcus than anyone else, "Besides," his voice growing a bit louder, "I'm sure she doesn't know me either. It was a big school and I was practically invisible." Kyra's eyes narrowed and she thought back to how notorious he was at Hogwarts. Everyone knew who he was. And they all knew he was a deatheater. Why would Marcus room with a known deatheater? His face was all over the local news. They had shown the entire trial for the deatheaters. Lucius had been sentenced to death- most of them had. Draco was found not guilty, which was a major shock to everyone. There was no way Marcus didn't know about him. She didn't want to cause a scene around everyone if they were aware of who he was.

Kyra introduced herself hastily, excusing herself to talk to Madison. She told Kyra how she was here to train to be a healer. Kyra explained how she hadn't quite decided what she wanted to be. Chelsea and Kyra had wanted to be aurors when they were younger but she'd recently been having a lot of second thoughts. She wasn't sure if it had to do with losing her best friend or not but she knew she didn't want to think too much about it.

They all made their way back to the cafeteria shortly after, finding seats all together. Kyra did everything she could not to glance at Malfoy. Thankfully, he never attempted to talk to her. Midway through lunch, she excused herself to go to the bathroom. After getting a few steps out the door way, Kyra felt a hand on her shoulder. She spun around, jumping slightly. Her heart fell when she saw Malfoy's face. She felt her breathing hitch slightly and she turned back around, walking away as quickly as she could. She had only made it a few feet away before he grabbed her arm. Her eyes narrowed and she snatched her arm out of his grasp, anger rising inside her. Kyra never got angry and it scared her when she did.

"Look," He started, stepping back slightly, "I know you know who I am. I really appreciate you not saying anything back there; this school was my chance to get away from everything. I needed to start over and no one in America knows my name. I'm sure you hate me, everyone did, but it means a lot that you didn't mention who I really was. Thank you" Kyra could feel the anger bubbling. How could he think she did this for him? She would never help him start over; he didn't deserve it. Not after everything his family did.

"It wasn't for you. I assumed they knew. But you can bet your ass that they'll know by tonight. I don't help murderers." Her voice was getting louder; she could feel herself losing control. Her entire body was shaking, heat flowing to her cheeks. She had never been so brash. The slight smile he'd been wearing had faded and he was staring at Kyra, slightly panicked.

"Please, this means everything to me. The person you knew at Hogwarts, that's not me. I'm not a deatheater. You have to believe me," Kyra's eyes drifted to the partially exposed mark on his arm. He bit his lip, his hand flying over to cover it sheepishly, "Please…"

"Do you even know who I am?" She snapped, trying and failing to get her volume under control. His face fell, "I didn't think so." Turning to walk away, she took a deep breath. Chelsea would have been proud. She was always telling Kyra to stick up for herself. That was always Chelsea's job though.

She got half way to the bathroom when she felt the hand on her shoulder again. Prepared to make a scene, Kyra turned around, only to be pushed hard against the stone wall. Malfoy was only inches from her face, his hands on her shoulders. She'd never actually spoken to him before today. She was realizing now why people were so afraid of him. He was seething, his mouth pressed into a tight line, his eyes narrowed. Kyra's anger was quickly washed away, overwhelming fear taking its place. This was precisely why she never stood up for herself. She was shaking, unable to breathe. "Do not fucking tell anyone. Do you hear me?" He snarled, his personality doing a complete 360, "Don't make me do something I'll regret," His hands came off her and he stepped back slightly, his tone lightening, "Understand?" Kyra nodded the best she could, desperately holding back tears. He then walked off as if nothing had happened. Sliding down the wall, she put her face in her hands, tears streaming down her face. She couldn't catch her breath.

After several minutes of calming down, Kyra collected herself, returning to the cafeteria. He was only three seats away and hardly glanced up when she sat down. Ellie looked up, noticing Kyra's half panicked look, "You okay Kyra?" Malfoy's head snapped over to look at her.

"Yeah I'm fine," Kyra forced a smile to her face, "Just nervous about classes." Her voice came out much more confident than she felt. Ellie went on to talk about what she hoped her schedule would be. Trying her best to be convincing, Kyra laughed and nodded, occasionally contributing to the conversation. Her eyes kept flicking over to him though. He was unphased, as if he hadn't threatened her only five minutes prior.

The tour of the university went fine as they parted ways with the boys, allowing Kyra to relax a little. The building was beautiful, straight out of her dreams. It distracted her from what had happened earlier. The girls got to know each other much better, talking about their home lives and discussing the idea of a dorm pet.

Hayden explained that she was hoping to go into Wizarding Technology. Kyra had never thought much about technology, mostly because the European wizarding community was thoroughly unconcerned with it. Hayden was sharp and witty, she truthfully reminded Kyra of Ginny Weasley. Kyra had grown fond of Ginny when the two had been in Dumbledore's Army together, however, she hadn't reached out since Chelsea's funeral.

Ellie was interested in art of all sorts. She enjoyed painting and sculpting and drawing. She even owned a wizard camera. Her mother, who had passed away three year prior, had been a fairly popular painter in the States.

"My dad keeps telling me i'll be just as popular as my mom but that's just absurd. I'm not nearly as talented as she was. It's honestly too much to live up to." Madison shook her head.

"That's absolute nonsense." She said, turning to Kyra. "She is truthfully one of the most talented artists i've ever seen. I have at least five of her paintings hung up back at home." Madison had explained earlier that she had grown up next door to Ellie in Chicago. Apparently there was a large wizarding neighborhood there.

After touring, they returned to their dorm to see their schedules on the table in the common room. Kyra was thrilled, rushing over to grab hers. Their freshman year, they were required to take general courses. They had six courses: defense against the dark arts, potions, history of magic, charms, a language of their choice (Kyra had chosen troll), and arithmancy. She had history of magic with Hayden. Ellie and Kyra had troll together. All three of them had charms together. All in all, it wasn't terrible. Classes started tomorrow and Kyra was actually excited, the memory of earlier not at the front of her mind anymore. As long as she could stay away from Malfoy, she thought, this year could be okay.


	4. Chapter 3

_Kyra jumped to the side quickly, the jet of green light narrowly missing her head. The castle is in ruins around them. She can hardly get her bearings. The bodies around them are so distracting, how was she expected to concentrate when there were dozens of dead bodies around her? She glances over at Chelsea, she's expertly blocking curses and throwing them back. She hardly looks over at Kyra for a second. "Come on Ky, don't lose it on me just yet!" A grin spreads across her face, "You're not allowed to get yourself killed here." Kyra shakes her head at Chelsea, smirking, and gets beside her as they take on the other deatheaters. She hits one of them with a stunning spell, sending him backwards. There's only one left now. Chelsea turns to her, "Nice shot Ky-" Kyra looks up to see the green light hit the side of Chelsea's head, the light leaving her eyes. Panic fills her body as she catches Chelsea before she falls. Kyra's breathing catches and she looks down at her best friend. Shaking her desperately and shouting her name, Kyra can't see anything anymore. Her eyes are filling with tears as she shouts at Chelsea not to leave her. She looks over to the death eater they were fighting to see who did it. Her heart stops as she sees the head of white hair fifteen feet from her. Draco Malfoy killed her best friend._

Kyra shot up in bed, sweat pouring down her face. She's breathing heavily, desperately attempting to calm herself down. _It was just a dream. That's not what happened._ Taking a deep breath, she relaxes slightly, finally taking a look around. The sun is streaming in the window and Hayden is still asleep in bed. Glancing at the clock, she realizes she still has an hour before she needs to be awake. She sighs, swinging her legs over the side of her bed, knowing she's not going to be able to get back to sleep. Her stomach grumbled and she decided to get dressed and make some breakfast.

Kyra finished up with some pancakes, making enough for the four of them, and started on the coffee. Just as she was getting the plates out, Hayden wandered out of her room. Her eyes landed on Kyra briefly and she grinned, "Pancakes?" Kyra smiled and offered her a plate.

"I made coffee too if you're interested." Hayden's eyes lit up as she grabbed utensils and sat on the couch.

"I knew I made the right choice in roommate!" Kyra poured her a cup and handed it to her, sitting down next to her with her breakfast, "You ready for classes today?" She asked between bites. Kyra gave her a half smile, still freaked out by her dream.

"I hope so. I just hope Marcus is in one of my other classes so I'm not totally alone. I also wouldn't mind seeing Eli again." Kyra giggled quietly and Hayden raised an eyebrow before laughing.

"Eli, huh?" She started, her voice full of amusement, "He's pretty cute. And you're definitely his type," Kyra blushed furiously and cracked a small smile, "He's got a thing for the bright red hair." She subconsciously twirled her hair around her finger. Her hair was a dark crimson and fell half way down her back.

"I suppose I'm in luck then!" Kyra bit her lip to stifle a laugh. Maybe today would be better than she had thought. Hayden elbowed her lightly.

"Besides, with your accent, how could he resist?" Madison and Ellie walked out as they were laughing, asking what was so funny, "Kyra's got herself a crush on Eli!" Ellie squealed. They spent nearly 45 minutes gossiping about the boys and who was cute. Apparently, Madison used to date Marcus. They were okay now, it wasn't weird between them but it was clear that she still had feelings for him.

Hayden turned to Kyra, "And honestly, that kid from your school, Draco, he's super hot!" Kyra tried her best not to let her smile fade, "How well did you know him? Do you know anything about him?" Her lips pressed into a tight line as she remembered his threat.

"No, I vaguely recognize him but that's all." She hoped Hayden would drop it and move on but the three of them kept on about it. It wasn't until Marcus walked in that they stopped. Kyra silently thanked him.

He helped himself to pancakes, sitting down to compare schedules with them. He was in their charms class but that was all. Kyra sighed; she'd been hoping to have someone in her DADA class, potions, and arithmancy. Maybe Eli would be in them. Kyra kicked herself for already being interested in a boy. At Hogwarts, she had dated a lot. She wanted university to be different but maybe she was doomed.

She excused herself to finish getting ready. It was exciting to be at a school without uniforms. She'd been in Hufflepuff at Hogwarts and yellow and black weren't her colors. It was late August and pretty warm out so she decided on a floral sundress for her outfit. She used her wand to set light curls- one of the greatest uses for her wand that she'd found- as well as doing winged eyeliner.

As she finished getting ready, she walked back into the common room. Marcus was gone but Ellie was on the couch. She told her the girls were still getting ready but might be a while so they decided to head to class on their own. Ellie had potions as her first class and it was on the same floor as their dorm so they didn't get to walk very far together. Defense against the dark arts was on the third floor so Kyra began the climb and got in just in time. The room was set up in several rows of three. She spotted Eli and tried not to get excited. He looked back and saw her so he waved her over with a smile. Calmly walking over, she took the seat beside him. She got a good look at him then. He was very attractive. His brown hair was ruffled just right and he had a little bit of scruff on his face.

Kyra shot him a warm smile, trying not to think about Hayden saying she was his type. They were talking for a few minutes before someone came in and sat down on his other side. She glanced over and her smile faltered as she saw Malfoy. He smiled politely and said hello as she tried to regain her composure. She wasn't about to let him ruin her day.

The teacher walked in before they had a chance to talk more. She couldn't have been more thankful. The teacher spent most of the class discussing the plan for the year and the different things they would be learning. Kyra spaced out for the majority of it but kept catching Eli looking at her. It made it difficult not to smile the entire class.

The teacher dismissed them and Kyra walked out with Eli, only to find out that he was up to the Astronomy classroom while she was heading back down to potions. She sighed dramatically, causing him to laugh before they parted ways. She walked to potions with a smile on her face. This day was off to a decent start considering the way she woke up.

She got to potions and took a seat by herself. She kept an eye on the door, watching to see if she knew anyone that came in. A petite girl with long, wiry hair came and sat next to her, introducing herself as Robbin. Kyra smiled and introduced herself politely before looking back to see that Malfoy had taken a seat at the table behind her. She closed her eyes, shaking her head. As the teacher began class, she instructed them to stand up and she began to give assigned seating. Kyra grimaced, praying she would be as far away from Malfoy as possible. She sat Kyra in the last row and she walked over, frowning. Potions was her worst class so she was really hoping to sit up front. She felt her stomach fall, however, as Malfoy walked over, sitting next to her. _Of course he would be sitting next to her. It wasn't like she was hoping to avoid him all year,_ She thought to herself.

The class was uneventful. He didn't attempt to talk to her so she was pleased. She rushed out as soon as class was over and headed to history of magic. She was lucky enough to have this class with Hayden. They honestly talked the entire class. She'd learned about the Goblin War when she was six; she had no interest in learning it again.

The girls had decided to just do lunch in the dorm, which the guys decided to join them for. Madison made grilled cheese and Kyra made a salad. She stayed in the kitchen as long as she could but she could still feel Malfoy's eyes on her back. He was, honestly, very off putting. She wished she could tell Hayden that she didn't want him around but she was too afraid.

She had Charms next. This class had practically everyone in it. Kyra sat with the girls but Marcus and Eli were at the next table. She would be lying if she said she hadn't noticed Eli smiling at her any time she looked over. His smile was so cute. It made charms hard to pay attention to.

Ellie and Kyra went to their language class together. It was the first time she'd taken a language and she was not very good at it. Some of the sounds they had to make were very strange and hard to make. She was honestly thrilled when they finally got to leave.

Her last class of the day was arithmancy. Kyra had always excelled in this class because math was her strong suite. She sat next to a boy that she recognized from Hogwarts named Dean Thomas. He dated one of her friends in school so they had gotten to be somewhat friendly. It wasn't until about half way through class that she looked over to see Malfoy on the other side of the room, staring hard at Dean and her. She wondered if he was going to threaten Dean too. Shaking off the thought, she focused on the professor again. Her mind kept going back to him, though. He scared her so much. Even from across the room she was afraid of him. She needed to just forget everything that had happened. It was for her own good that she just thought of him as a stranger. From then on, she decided, she didn't know Draco Malfoy. She couldn't.


	5. Chapter 4

Kyra tried her best to rush out of the classroom. The girls had agreed to meet each other in the cafeteria for dinner after class so she was packing up quickly, knowing the classroom was on the other side of the school. As she made her way outside, she felt a cold hand on her arm, pulling her aside. She let out a deep sigh as she realized she was face to face with Malfoy again. She found herself wondering why he couldn't just leave her alone.

"Can we not do this now? I'm not going to say anything to anyone Malfoy; I just want to get to the cafeteria." She kept her voice level, not wanting to set him off again. Besides, she was more nervous than she was angry.

He glanced down at her, sheepishly. She'd not noticed how much taller he was until now, "Kyra, I wanted to…apologize," His voice was sincere but hesitant. It was clear he wasn't accustomed to apologizing, "I lost my cool yesterday and I'm not proud of it. This school is my second chance I didn't want to start it like that. We have a lot of classes together and you live across the hall so I don't want things to be uncomfortable for us." He wasn't making eye contact, which made him less intimidating. His piercing blue eyes were difficult to get past.

"We hang out with the same people," Kyra started, trying to sound confident as his eyes locked back on her, "I don't want to be uncomfortable any time you're around either," Her dream from last night was suddenly filling her brain, the image of him killing Chelsea playing on repeat, " I can't be your friend though. We can be civil but you need to understand that there is no way I'm going to be friends with you." He shut his eyes, briefly, his mouth pressed into a hard line.

"Fine. Whatever. I wasn't saying I wanted to be friends. I just need you to not jump ten feet every time you see me. It's going to look suspicious." He didn't give her a chance to respond before he stormed away. She felt her body relax slightly and she grabbed her books, taking a deep breath to steady herself before starting off to the cafeteria.

Madison was already at the table when she got there so Kyra took a seat next to her, asking how her classes went today. Propping herself up on her elbow, she listened to Madison talk about how much she liked the DADA teacher. She made several quick remarks about the kids in her class. Having gone to school at Tromington, she already knew almost half the class. Madison was honestly hilarious, something Kyra hadn't expected considering how bookish everyone implied she was. She reminded Kyra a lot of Chelsea in that way. Their sense of humor was nearly identical.

It was only a few minutes until Hayden and Ellie got there, the boys following shortly after them. Eli sat across from Kyra, shooting her a quick smile. Kyra felt the heat rise to her cheeks and managed a small smile. Before she had a chance to say anything to him, Hayden was talking, "How do you guys feel about a Disney movie night?" Everyone was suddenly talking excitedly.

Kyra's brow furrowed in confusion, "What's Disney?" she heard a series of small gasps. Hayden let out a chuckle, shaking her head.

"Disney is a muggle company. They make children's movies. Some of the best movies out there, honestly!" Kyra had only seen a few movies before. Her parents didn't keep many muggle things around the house when she was younger, "Well we definitely need to have a Disney movie night now! After dinner, we'll all head up to our dorm. I learned a spell a few years back to project movies through my wand. Anybody good with popcorn?" Draco raised his hand slightly. Hayden clapped her hands together, "Great! If we go now, I bet we can get in four movies tonight!" Kyra smirked, raising an eyebrow. Hayden stood quickly, ushering everyone up and out. Kyra breathed a laugh, following behind her.

Eli walked beside her, "I can't believe you've never heard of Disney. Every kid grows up on Disney!" He chuckled; his laugh was lofty and Kyra couldn't help but grin back at him.

"One of the downfalls of growing up in the wizarding world, I suppose."

"Not in America. Muggle culture is pretty main stream here. Muggle movies were common place in my house. From what i've heard, European wizarding schools don't feel quite the same way about muggles. We've been required to take Muggle studies classes every year since year 2." Kyra was floored. She had opted out of muggle studies in Hogwarts.

He turned to Malfoy on his other side, "Tell me you've heard of Disney!" Malfoy shook his head, looking nearly as confused as Kyra had been, "People from Hogwarts are missing out on everything. Did you watch any movies growing up? I know it's a muggle thing but c'mon, movies are still great!" He was so excited; it was hard not to give a small smile. Without a chance to respond, Kyra felt Eli tugging at her hand, encouraging her to quickly head downstairs.

When they got back to the dorm, Hayden was already setting the common room up, pulling the couches together and having an animated discussion with Ellie about which Disney movies to watch. Kyra was listening to try to hear a title that sounded even vaguely familiar but most of them were completely foreign to her. Once she finally heard one she recognized, she piped in, "Ooh! The Lion King, that sounds familiar!" Everyone was murmuring about that being a good movie and it became the first movie of the night.

Most of the group was already filling up one of the couches and the chair. Eli was on the other couch, Marcus on his other side. Kyra took a seat next to him when he patted the empty spot by his side. Hayden, who had moved in particularly close to Derek, had switched the lights off so Kyra hoped Eli wouldn't notice the blush that rose to her cheeks. The movie was just beginning when Hayden stopped it, "Draco come on, there's a seat next to Kyra. Bring the popcorn." Malfoy was standing in the kitchen, a bowl of popcorn in his hands. Kyra could see him hesitate slightly before shuffling over. She didn't have to see him to know he was uncomfortable as he settled in next to her. The couch was getting snug and there was very little room between them.

"Popcorn?" He offered, quietly. Kyra silently grabbed a small handful of popcorn as the movie started. The movie began with a song in a language she didn't recognize but she could hardly hear as the rest of the group was shouting along with it.

The movie was great. No one warned Kyra that she would cry so she was completely unprepared. She hadn't imagined that a children's movie could make her so emotional. It was also plenty funny too, though. She even caught Malfoy chuckling at some parts. It was strange to see someone so serious laugh. He looked genuinely happy. It was a strange emotion on him; it made him appear so innocent. Maybe he isn't all bad, Kyra thought barely made its way into her mind before she shut it out completely. She couldn't start to believe things like that. Draco Malfoy was a murderer and she couldn't let her guard down.


	6. Chapter 5

Kyra rolled her eyes dramatically, a giggle escaping her lips. Eli had been swirling his wand above the desk, creating a small 3d paper drawing of the professor. It was mimicking the professor's movements perfectly and Kyra stifled a laugh. In the past week, it had become increasingly clear to her that Eli was never serious. He was consistently cracking jokes or messing with other students. She watched intently as he flicked his wand once more and the drawing began to tear itself apart. Glancing up briefly, she noticed Malfoy watching out of the corner of his eye, a hint of amusement playing on his lips.

The professor dismissed the class and Eli gave one final twirl of his wand, the bits of shredded paper sweeping themselves up, landing in the nearby trash can. Kyra shook her head, breathing a laugh as she gathered her things and followed him out the door. Classes had been going better than she'd expected. Malfoy primarily avoided her and she was getting better acquainted with the rest of the group quickly. There was very rarely a time when at least one of the boys wasn't in their dorm. Without a curfew, they would stay until nearly two in the morning, playing cards or watching movies. Even Malfoy spent a decent amount of time in the dorm with them. He was, of course, incredibly different here than he was at Hogwarts. While still being arrogant, he was also incredibly funny and had proven to be relatively helpful to the other girls. They would be civil toward each other; however, there was still an uncomfortable air between them. She didn't suspect it was noticeable to anyone outside of the two of them, but if no one was around, he avoided her like the plague.

As she approached the potions classroom, Kyra was hit with a pungent odor. The rich irony scent of dragon's blood mixed with earthy lavender filled the room, spilling out into the hallway. It was immediately clear that they would be concocting memory potions. They hadn't brewed any potions yet this year, of which Kyra was glad. She knew as soon as they started brewing, her grade would slip. As she gravitated toward her seat, she noticed a cauldron placed on each table. This definitely did not bode well for her grade.

Malfoy slid into his seat beside her, casually eyeing the cauldron and fixing his eyes at the front of the room, per usual. The professor came to the front of the classroom, clearing her throat. She instructed everyone to work in pairs with the other classmate at their table. Kyra groaned internally, realizing she would need to communicate with him today. Glancing over at him, his expression was carefully blank. The professor waved her wand at the board, the page number of the instructions appearing in messy, white chalk.

Letting out a quiet breath, Kyra grabbed her textbook, flipping it open to the page, and setting it between them. She barely caught the brief sound of a sigh escaping his lips as he resigned himself to finally looking at her. Her eyes grazed over his face, avoiding eye contact, as she was fully aware how unnerving it could be to look him in the eyes. The tension between them was unbearable, "I uh…I'm not too great at potions so you should probably take the lead on this." Kyra's voice was shaky and she laughed nervously, attempting to break the ice.

"Well we should start by being on the correct page," Glancing down, she realized he was right. She huffed, pursing her lips, and hanging her head in defeat. He had a look of amusement on his face, "Why don't I go get the ingredients? You stay here and try not to break anything." He was breathing a laugh and Kyra faked an offended look.

"No promises." He smirked as he strode off toward the cabinet. She picked at the table, distracting her from her minor anxiety. Within a minute, he was placing the ingredients on the tabletop. Kyra studied them carefully, glancing back at the textbook to try to identify each one. She held up an arrow shaped object. It was golden, freckled, and smooth to the touch. She ran her finger up and down it.

"It's a barb from a dragon's tail." Malfoy was rolling his eyes at her. Kyra nodded, her face hard, "Okay, can you light the cauldron; I'm going to start pressing the lavender." After digging around under the table, he grabbed a knife and a piece of lavender. She tightened her grip on her wand, carefully lighting the fire under the ancient black cauldron. Glancing over, Kyra noticed him pressing the lavender between his thumb and the knife over the top, the essence dripping into the pot. She watched carefully, looking back to see how bored he looked. His eyes flicked down, catching hers as she looked away quickly, focusing on the book, "If you're done staring at me, you can chop the dragon tail." Kyra felt the heat rush to her face and carefully slid her hand onto the table to take the tail back. She fished out a second knife from under the table and began slicing the tail diagonally. About to make her third slice, Kyra felt his cold hand grab hers suddenly. She jumped, swiveling, the knife still in her hand, now pointed at him. He threw his hands up, a flicker of fear passing through his icy blue eyes, "Put the knife down, psycho." A smirk had made its way onto his face now, realizing Kyra wasn't going to hurt him. She lowered the knife slowly, letting out a quiet chuckle, "You're cutting it wrong, watch." He reached his hand out, brushing it against hers as he took the knife, his eyes meeting hers and falling back down to the tail. Kyra watched in awe as he swiftly cut into the tail, efficiently dicing it into a hundred pieces. He used the knife to scrape the pieces into his hand and poured them into the cauldron, "Think you can do that to the scales?"

The rest of the potion went fairly smoothly, Malfoy doing the majority of the work, stopping every five minutes to critique Kyra and smirk stupidly at her. They were nearly done when they got down to the Jobberknoll feather. Reaching for it at the same time, Kyra drew her hand back, "I'd better do it. It can be complicated," He lightly poked her with the feather, "And we both know you can't handle complicated." Kyra shot him a look of faux-anger and he chuckled. Leaning over the cauldron, he slowly swirled the feather into the mixture, "Three time clockwise," He swirled it as he said, "Four times counterclockwise," He continued, "Hold it half way in for five seconds and then slowly lower it the rest of the way in. It should turn silvery if we did it correctly." Kyra held her breath as he held it up, whispering, "5…4…3…2…1," Then he slowly sunk the feather all the way in. They both sat in silence for several seconds, watching the mixture intently. Its color began to shift, the purple mixture fading, the tint of silver slowly rising to the surface. He threw his hands up, excitedly, "We did it!" Quickly adjusting his demeanor, he sat back down, glancing back and forth between her and the potion, "I mean, mostly I did it. But you were a great observer." His stupid smirk returned to his face.

"Oh, I was awesome and you know it," Kyra teased, "You couldn't have done it without me!" His eyebrows narrowed, doubtfully, scoffing. She spotted a pair of students across the classroom jumping backwards as a green slime climbed out of their cauldron, "Without me, you probably would have ended up like them." He rolled his eyes.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, kid." Malfoy uttered. Kyra beamed, grinning up at him from her seat. He shook his head, a genuine smile on his face. She noticed a small chip in one of his teeth; it was the only flaw in his near perfect smile. It took all her self control to look away from him. He really was attractive; his tousled white-blonde hair not slicked back like it was at Hogwarts. Kyra took in a sharp breath, mentally reprimanding herself for letting her thoughts wander.

Class ended shortly after, and Kyra gathered her things quickly, rushing out the door, not wanting to walk out with him. He couldn't joke around with her once and flash a cute smile to make her forget that he had threatened her. Kyra's heart was pounding in her chest as she practically jogged to her next class. She could feel her body getting warm, the tugging in her chest causing her to stop in an empty hallway. She bent over, taking deep breaths, the stale air of the school not aiding her. Kyra's eyes closed and she calmed herself down. Recognizing the fact that he was attractive wasn't a crime. And she was allowed to joke around, he was in her friend group, they needed to be comfortable with each other. Kyra kept repeating those thoughts to herself, the nagging in the pit of her stomach trying to convince her otherwise. She could hear the blood pounding in her ears as she inhaled deeply. Kyra allowed her body to slump briefly before pulling herself upright. Class was about to start and she'd be damned if she let Draco Malfoy interfere with her life. She had more control than this. She was going to go to class and do what she had to in order to forget about Draco Malfoy.


	7. Chapter 6

"Look, all I'm saying is muggle music has a tendency to be better than wizard music." Kyra rolled her eyes. Ellie was on another tangent about the advantages of the muggle world. She was consistently going on about the wonderful aspects of being a muggle. Personally, Kyra could see that the muggles had a few nice things but overall, she didn't see the appeal.

Madison sighed audibly, "Oh give it a rest Ellie. No one cares about muggle music." Her voice was bored; she was in the kitchen cooking a foul smelling soup. Kyra stifled a laugh, avoiding the daggers Ellie was shooting. Her thick brows were pushed down in anger. Hayden let out a loud giggle, setting off a chain of laughter.

Just as they began to settle, Malfoy walked through the door, he glanced at Kyra, a whisper of a smile on his face, but her face fell and she looked away. Kyra caught a glimpse of the bottle of fire whiskey in his hand, causing her to cock her head up. Clearly she'd not been the only one to notice, "Ooh you brought presents!" Hayden exclaimed, quickly rising to her feet, snatching the bottle from his hands. He blinked back, seemingly shocked by her sudden movements.

"The boys are headed over. Derek just got a letter from his mum. His parents are getting a divorce. Each of the boys have a bottle and they are planning on coming over and drinking until they can't see. Marcus wanted me to come warn you. He's a bit of a mess so don't ask questions, just drink." He quickly doled out shot glasses to each of them and grabbed the bottle back. Kyra watched, lips pursed, as he poured a bit of whiskey into each glass. Their eyes met briefly as she looked up. She bit her lip, tearing her eyes away again, tossing the shot back as soon as he finished pouring. Her stomach warmed up after a moment, the liquid burning her throat. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Malfoy smirking. She looked up at him skeptically, but he simply turned his head.

The door burst open then, the stench of alcohol already thick in the air, emanating from the boys. Derek was floating across the room, crashing onto the couch, stretching both arms out and resting them around Hayden and Kyra, "Let's play kings, girls. Marcus, get the cards!" He was animated, practically shouting. It was obvious he was a few shots in.

Marcus took a seat on the ground on the other side of the table, spreading the cards in a circle on the table top. Eli waved his wand, upbeat music flowing from the tip. Marcus explained the rules, "Ace is waterfall, 2 is you, 3 is me, 4 is floor- last to point has to drink, 5 is guys, 6 is chicks, 7 is heaven- last to point up has to drink, 8 is mate- pick a person to drink every time you drink, 9 is rhyme- pick a word, the person next to you has to rhyme with it, the first person to not come up with a rhyme has to drink. 10 is categories- say I pick dogs, you have to name breeds of dog and the first person who doesn't come up with an answer has to drink. Jack is never have I ever, three fingers, and first person with all their fingers down has to drink. Queen is questions- everyone has to go around asking questions to the person beside them, first person to mess up has to drink. King is rules- you make a rule, such as every time you swear, you have drink. Everyone got it?" Everyone nodded and Kyra filled her glass up again.

Everyone settled in, "I'm first!" Derek shouted, pulling a card out and showing it off to the rest of the group, "10. I'm gonna saaaaaaay colors- red." He then looked to his right, to Hayden.

"Blue."

"Purple."

"Green."

"Yellow."

It was Marcus's turn, "Uh…um…" Everyone smirked and urged him to take a shot. He rolled his eyes, throwing it back, "Okay Hayden, your turn." She picked up a card and showed up it was a 7. They all pointed up, Malfoy realizing last and taking a shot. Eli went next, getting 8. He picked Kyra to drink with him so they each took their shots. She carefully ignored Ellie giggling.

Ellie picked up a card, showing off a 4. The group quickly pointed toward the ground, Derek moving too slow and very willingly tossing back a shot.

Madison pulled a card next, showing off a 2. Pointing at Marcus, she urged him to drink. His cheeks briefly flushed, contrasting his pale skin. He took the shot, keeping his eyes on her and pulled a card himself, pulling a king. He grinned, raising an eyebrow at Madison. Her eyes grew wide.

"Every time Derek swears, Madison has to drink." He declared pointedly, puffing out his chest. Madison hung her head, defeated and Derek shouted out a 'fuck' for effect, forcing Madison to drink. They all chuckled and Draco pulled a card.

By the time they had pulled half the cards, Kyra, along with everyone else was completely plastered. It was Madison's turn now and she pulled a queen. Turning to Marcus, she stumbled over her words, "How are you?" He turned to Malfoy then.

"What are you doing?" Marcus slurred out. Malfoy turned to Kyra. His cheeks were bright red, the evidence of his intoxication plainly written on his face.

"Why do you hate me so much?" Kyra froze, her head spinning slightly. The rest of the group was laughing absentmindedly, prodding her to take the shot. She slowly raised the glass to her lips, her eyes glued to Malfoy. She watched him take a card, showing off a 2. His eyes lingered on her as he said her name. The room was quieting slightly as she filled her glass again, taking another shot.

Kyra picked up a card of her own. Rolling her eyes, she showed everyone the jack of spades. Everyone put up three fingers, waiting for someone to call out the first 'never have I ever'. Ellie was the first to speak, "Never have I ever had sex…" Kyra folded one of her fingers down, looking around the room; noticing most of them had fingers down. Derek and Ellie still had their finger up. Derek was smirking at Hayden, looking pointedly at her fingers. Kyra could feel Malfoy's eyes on her and she looked straight at him. Sober, she never would have had the confidence to return his gaze but the alcohol in her clouded her judgment. He quickly averted his eyes, as if to pretend he hadn't been staring- judging.

"Never have I ever had sex on the first date." Eli's voice piped in, interrupting Kyra's scattered train of thought. She lowered another finger, as did Hayden, Marcus, and Malfoy. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Derek lightly jab a finger into Hayden's ribs. Kyra couldn't focus on them as Draco was watching her again, fixing his eyes on her fingers. She wanted him to stop looking at her. His gaze was making her vaguely uncomfortable and a bit angry. Before she could stop to think, she felt the words slipping out of her mouth.

"Never have I ever been arrested." Her expression was hard as she kept her eyes on Malfoy. He hesitantly lowered his last finger, shooting a quick, angry glance in her direction. If she'd been sober, she would have been terrified but she was quickly distracted by the giggles in the room.

"Oooooh. Draco! What'd you get arrested for?" Marcus was clearly amused. Malfoy looked calm, letting out a chuckle.

"Vandalism- bloody cops in London caught me spray painting the side of a building. Spent the night in prison but it wasn't so bad." Kyra tried hard to keep from scoffing. The lie came so easily, like second nature. The group urged him to take a shot, which he did, taking one last look at Kyra. She bit her lip, hoping she'd have to drink again soon, so as to ward off the fear that he would retaliate.

Derek pulled a card next, haphazardly waving a king around. He tossed his card in the air, his cheeks red from the alcohol. He kept his eyes glued to Hayden.

"I, as king, hereby rule that this game is dissolved and is to become a game of seven minutes in heaven!" The group groaned. "Hush! Your king has spoken!"

"Is this eighth grade, Derek? C'mon!" Ellie whined, huffing. He vehemently shook his head.

"We'll pick pairs with the bottle!" He declared.

"And where are we supposed to go?" Marcus questioned.

"Hayden's room!" Derek replied, waggling his eyebrows. Hayden rolled her eyes, but ultimately agreed. "Okay, Hayden, you first!" Hayden took one of the empty bottles of firewhiskey up and placed it on the table. She spun it around and landed on Madison. Derek's eyes darted around and he 'accidentally' bumped the bottle, forcing it to swing toward him."Oh! I guess it's me! The bottle has spoken!" He quickly got up and dragged her with him toward her room, shutting the door behind them.

Ellie giggled, placing a silencing charm over the door. Marcus set himself in charge of the clock and the group spread out a bit, waiting for time to pass. Kyra ended up sitting next to Eli, stretched out across the couch, her legs over his lap.

"So what's the deal with you and Draco?" His voice was easy going and he looked at her with half a smile. She raised an eyebrow, looking confused, "I mean I know you went to school together but there's some real weird tension there. Did you guys hook up or something back at Hogwarts?" She let out a loud laugh, tossing her head back.

"Not a chance. Malfoy had probably never even seen me before I got here. And there's not a chance in hell I would've slept with him." Kyra was slurring her words and barely acknowledging the intrigued looks Eli was giving her.

"So you didn't like him?" She shook her head laughing. Before she could respond, Malfoy had joined them on the couch. He was sitting closer to Kyra than she wanted and she was doing her best to shoot him an intimidating angry face. However, in her state, she ended up looking pouty; not that he noticed.

"Did I hear my name?" He was leaning into her, seemingly as drunk as she was.

"Yeah Kyra was just telling me how much she hated you at Hogwarts." Eli was chuckling, looking back between the two of them. Malfoy stuck his lip out in a pout.

"Awww don't say things like that darling. I know you love me!" Kyra scrunched up her face in protest and he laughed, lazily throwing his arm around her. Eli said something, which she hadn't heard, as she was attempting to bite one of the fingers that were dangling near her face. He slid his arm off of her, "Hey now, don't bite." Kyra huffed, demanding he go away. Raising an eyebrow at her, he did as she said, wandering back to another couch.

"You're cute when you're drunk." Eli mentioned breezily. Kyra giggled, about to reply when Marcus shouted for Derek and Hayden to come out. After a moment, they stumbled out, Hayden's long chestnut hair matted up the side and a sloppy grin glued to Derek's face.

They settled into their seats and beckoned everyone back. Settling in, Kyra was now beside Hayden, forcing her to spin next. She watched dizzily as the bottle spun round and round, silently hoping it would land on Eli. Her heart dropped as it landed on Draco. _Just her luck._ She begrudgingly stood and followed him into her room, ignoring the whoops behind them.

As the door shut behind her, she looked up to see Malfoy peering down at her, "So what the fuck did you think you were doing in that game exactly? Why would you call me out on being arrested? I thought we had an understanding." His voice was harsh and mildly shocking compared to the way he'd been just minutes before. Kyra bit her lip, scared to reply. His pale blue eyes were drilling holes into her. She averted her eyes, hoping he might back down if she ignored him. He placed a firm hand on her chin, pulling her face up to look at him. Slapping his hand away hard, she woozily stood to walk backwards. His hand grabbed her wrist, directing her to her bed, where she fell down, too drunk to protest further, "I'm not fucking around here, Hardings," Her name sounded strange on his tongue, "You can't say anything to them about me." His voice had softened slightly but she was still frightened. She stayed silent, afraid of saying something that would set him off. "Look, I'm sorry I yelled at you. I know you were drunk and probably didn't know what you were saying but you can't slip like that. It's very important that you not tell anyone" Kyra nodded. She sighed but the alcohol burning in her stomach urged words from her mouth.

"I don't understand how you can go from threatening me to acting like this. Just when I'll start to think you aren't a piece of shit, you start pulling this again." He studied her hard for a minute, contemplating what to say next.

"I'm sorry. I don't know how to...do...friends." He hesitated on his words, seemingly unsure he wanted to tell her that. Alcohol was seemingly still affecting him as well. "At Hogwarts, I didn't have...friends. You know? I had followers." Kyra rolled her eyes. "No, i'm serious. I've never had to worry about the way I came off. I'm working on it. I know it may not seem like it, but I really do want to make this work." Her lips pursed together, contemplating his words. "Whether or not you like it, I'm in your life now. It's best for both of us if we can be friends." Kyra scoffed, feeling bold. "You may not like me, but truthfully, I like you." She raised an eyebrow and he chuckled. "Don't let it go to your head, but I think you have some redeeming qualities." A few breathy laughs passed Kyra's lipped without permission.

"You know, if i'm being honest as well,"

"Well, I think with the level of shots in you right now, honestly was really the only option." Kyra scrunched her face, laughing again and waving her hand at him.

"As I was saying!" She spoke louder than necessary. Draco held up his hands in defeat. "When you aren't being a complete and total prat, I suppose you have a redeeming quality or two as well." He gasped, putting a hand to his chest.

"You love me! I'm telling everyone! You're positively smitten!" He jeered. She threw a pillow at him, which he snagged out of the air, whacking it across her head. She pulled up another pillow, standing up and quickly stumbling, forgetting just how intoxicated she was.

Before she had a chance to hit him again, Marcus called out from behind the door that it was time to come out and Kyra bounded from the room, shooting a grin at him before she left.


	8. Chapter 7

Kyra kicked her feet up, placing them on the coffee table, absentmindedly petting their new cat, who had climbed up onto her lap. Next to her, half the group was babbling on about trying out for the university's quidditch team. Eli, Malfoy, and Hayden were planning on trying out for the team today and had not stopped talking about it since they heard about try outs. Eli was hoping to be a Keeper, Hayden a Chaser, and Malfoy wanted to be Seeker. Apparently, Derek used to play but felt like his chances of making the team were slim so he didn't bother.

"You've really never played, Kyra?" Eli's voice snapped her back into the present. She gave her head a slight shake and looked around at the expectant faces of the group.

"No, I have a terrible fear of heights. My parents taught me to fly when I was young but I always hated it," Malfoy was snickering a few feet away, "Have you got something to say, Malfoy?" He raised an eyebrow at her, the hint of a smirk on his face.

"Just don't see you as the type to be scared of something as stupid as heights." She cocked her head to the side, her lips pursed. There were a series of 'oohs' echoing around the room.

Kyra began to open her mouth but was cut off by Hayden, "Come on guys, we have to get down to try outs. I'm not about to miss this!" Rolling her eyes, Kyra carefully ushered the cat off her lap, standing. She shot a playfully angry look at Malfoy, who had clearly moved on from the conversation. He, along with Hayden and Eli, were dressed for quidditch and picked up their brooms before they filed out the door.

Personally, Kyra found quidditch horribly boring. Watching everyone fly across the field gave her anxiety, as she was constantly afraid they would fall and hurt themselves. The only thing that eased her worrying was ignoring the game and distracting herself. At Hogwarts, it had been fairly easy as her friends didn't care for it either; however, here it seemed that everyone loved it. Try outs weren't terrible because no one was particularly hostile. It seemed that the likelihood of ignoring it was slim either way as Derek continued a commentary all throughout. It seemed as though everyone trying out was fairly skilled, especially Hayden, who was zipping across the field at top speeds. Her reflexes were incredible and Kyra had trouble keeping up with her.

At the end of try outs, the captains made their decisions quickly, informing Hayden and Malfoy that they had made the team. Even from the stands, Eli's disappointment was visible, despite his efforts to seem supportive of the other two. The rest of the group scrambled down the stairs, crowding around their friends, congratulating Hayden and Malfoy, and offering sympathies to Eli.

They grabbed their brooms, about to head back to the dorm when a small, black owl swooped down, dropping an envelope into Malfoy's hand. He visibly froze, the smile now miles from his face. The rest of the group had already started back so they didn't notice as Malfoy wandered in another direction.

Kyra stood, paralyzed, unsure if she should follow him or just head back to the dorm. Her breathing was heavy as her thoughts ran quickly. She'd never seen him so upset. Pangs of guilt hit her hard as she contemplated ignoring him. He didn't deserve her sympathy but she couldn't let him be alone if something was wrong.

Sighing deeply, she followed at a small distance, carefully watching how loudly she stepped. His footsteps echoed through the corridor as he wove through halls she hadn't seen before. Her breathing was shallow as she attempted to keep him in her line of vision; he was moving quickly, his long legs taking huge strides. She stopped, concealing herself behind a wall as he came to a door. He pushed hard, swinging the door open, revealing the purple streaked sky. Kyra watched him descend the steps, sneaking out behind him once he was a safe distance away. He rounded a corner, the mouth of the lake opening up, reflecting the sunset among the ripples.

Kyra eyed him carefully as he sat down, clutching the envelope in his hands. He held it to his forehead, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. They glistened as he opened them and he tore open the envelope. Kyra watched as he read through the slightly tinged paper. He bit his lip, and folded it back up, burying his hands in his face. It was difficult to make out his emotion from the angle she had. Leaning forward, she attempted to get a better look at him but stumbled, falling forward onto the ground.

Malfoy's head snapped up, rage clear in his eyes. Fear shone through her and she trembled; he was terrifying. As he spotted her, his gaze softened, letting out a deep sigh, "What are you doing here? Did you follow me?" His voice was quiet and calm, which was unexpected. Kyra stared up at him, attempting to stammer out an answer.

"Yeah." Her voice was hardly above a whisper. His eyes narrowed in confusion as he stared back at her. Despite how awkward she felt, there was a true lack of tension in the air. She was surprised it wasn't more uncomfortable. Still, she was wishing she hadn't come, but there was no turning back now.

"Why?" The curiosity rang through in a way Kyra couldn't understand. His face was hard to read as his eyes peered intently at her. Glancing at the ground, she attempted to form an adequate response. _Why did she follow him?_ She suddenly was entirely unsure. Was it purely out of curiosity or was it about helping him? The words slipped out of my mouth before she had consciously made up her mind.

"I wanted to be sure you were okay," He was clearly taken aback by her statement, his eyes darting around uncomfortably, "I saw how upset you looked when you got the letter, I didn't think you should be alone," The words were coming out of her mouth without thought or permission. He was quiet, contemplative, so she spoke again, "Are…are you okay?" His head shot up and she kept her gaze fixed on his icy blue eyes.

"No yeah, I'm okay," Kyra shot him a skeptical look, his face desperate, "Why do you care though? I thought you didn't help 'murderers'" She gulped, remembering her words, "I'm not by the way," Furrowing her brow, Kyra blinked back in confusion, "A murderer. I never killed anyone; I couldn't." She closed her eyes, guilt swelling in her gut.

"I'm sorry. I guess I just assumed that since you were a…" She trailed off; her eyes flickering to his arm, where she knew the mark stained his skin.

"You never answered my question though. Why do you care if I'm upset? Why would you follow me or want to make sure I'm okay." She still wasn't entirely sure why she'd followed him. His eyes were nearly boring a hole into her. Her gaze traveled down and she attempted to regain control of her breathing which, admittedly, had quickened rather drastically.

"It just seemed like the right thing to do. I made a snap decision and this seemed like the right choice," Malfoy was studying her now, his head tilted slightly. Kyra did everything she could to not look at his vaguely pursed lips, "What was the letter about?" In her attempt to draw the attention away from herself, she appeared to have struck a nerve. He visible folded in a bit, his curiosity quickly turning into an indiscernible emotion. There was a darkness creeping into his eyes that she ignored.

"Nothing you want to know about," Her interest was piqued as she glanced up at him. He was so hard to read; his face hardly ever gave anything away, "Just a letter I'd been expected for a long time," His voice was dull, clearly hoping she'd back down but her silence prodded him on, "There are a lot of people who are angry with me. The trials were bad. I had to give a lot of names and now a lot of people are really angry. That's why I went so far away; I needed to get as far from these people as I could. I wasn't safe there. But now it seems as if I might not be safe here." Kyra was quiet for a few moments, allowing his words to sink in. He was in danger.

"So was the letter a threat?" The words were catching in her throat. This was a lot to digest. She attempted to stay focused on the conversation but her mind kept wandering to the idea of what could happen.

"No, it was my mother. But she was informing me that she heard someone had discovered I was in America. It's just the first step in everything unraveling. I knew it would happen but I was hoping it wouldn't happen for a long time. If I'd known it would happen so soon, I never would have become friends with people here. I have a terrible feeling this could be dangerous for all of you. I never wanted anyone else to get hurt." He continued talking but Kyra couldn't hear him as panic filled her. She began to understand the gravity of what he was saying. This could be the Battle of Hogwarts all over again. Her breathing quickened and she felt her eyes vaguely glaze over as the image of Chelsea dying replayed in her head. Her chest was tightening and she clumsily gripped the ground around her. She could feel her head spinning so she attempted to calm herself down, hoping it wouldn't be noticeable. Over the years, she'd gotten better at holding panic attacks at bay.

After thirty seconds of controlled breathing, Kyra glanced up to see Malfoy's eyes filled with concern as he watched her. Heat rushed to her cheeks, embarrassed he had seen her like that. Only three people had seen her like that before and she hated when it happened, "I'm sorry. I just…" He cut her off, his voice soft.

"Don't apologize. I used to get panic attacks a lot. I'm sorry for upsetting you; I shouldn't have said anything." Kyra slumped, exhaling sharply. He was clearly not accustomed to telling people anything. His eyes were trained on the lake, watching the skies reflection change slowly from pink to purple to black.

"I'm glad you told me," Kyra muttered. He ran his fingers through his hair, stress eating away at him. She wasn't ready to forgive him for what happened. She knew, realistically, that he was not responsible and staying angry with him was foolish but he was the only one around to be angry with. He was the closest thing to Lucius that she could project her rage onto. She couldn't be angry with him now though. Seeing him upset was, for whatever reason, devastating to her. Kyra looked hard at him. His gaze was fixed at a point across the lake, though it was clear he was hardly seeing it. The blonde mop of hair on his head was terribly messy and his jaw was tight. She ran her hands roughly toward the back of her neck, realizing what she needed to do. Standing up, she steadied herself for a moment before walking closer to him. She sat directly beside him, gently nudging his shoulder, "Talk to me, I'm the only one you can tell these things to and I promise, It'll make you feel better." They sat in silence for a minute, looking out at the lake, watching the sun set.

As the final streaks of color left the sky, Kyra laid back onto the grass, placing her hands under her hands. Malfoy followed suit, keeping his eyes up at the sky, "I never wanted this, Kyra. But I'm stuck with this mark forever to remind me of everything I was forced into. I can never really escape it. I could move to Mars but I can't erase the fact that I was a deatheater," The word was acid on his tongue, the venom he felt audible, "Sometimes I think I might never live a normal life all because of what my father chose so many years ago. I just want to move on. I want to go to sleep at night without having nightmares about watching someone die. I'm too young to have seen so many people die," His voice was cracking, "I'll never get that innocence back. Everyone I grew up with is a murderer. So many people are dead because of us," Kyra could feel a pit in her stomach but attempted to push it back, "Sometimes I wish they'd have just found me guilty. Instead, I have to live in fear of being killed and I can't sleep because of the guilt." He still wasn't looking at her, staring straight up.

Kyra didn't know how to respond, the words getting caught in her throat. How was she supposed to tell him it was alright when she wouldn't forgive him herself, "You aren't a terrible person though," That was true. He was misled and made a few poor choices but he wasn't evil, "I don't exactly know why you did what you did but it clearly wasn't because you agreed with those people," He turned his head to the side, locking eyes with her, "Look, a lot of bad things happened back then. Bad things happen and people make mistakes. Someday things will be better though. It hasn't even been a year yet; you can't expect things to go back to normal that quickly. I still have nightmares but I have to believe that someday I'll move on and live a normal life," She attempted to keep her voice even. She hadn't wanted to talk about her life; he didn't need to know anything else about her. She quickly reverted back to him, "You made it out alive and that means something. You have a chance to turn your life around and maybe make up for all the things that happened. If you give up, you will never get that chance. You need to live for the kids that won't get the chance to. You need to live because you can, don't take that for granted." She bit her lip; her words felt a bit harsh but she held strong.

Malfoy was silent for a while, turning back toward the sky. The stars were becoming clearer now, twinkling above them, "What are your nightmares like?" His voice was breezy, as if he was asking about the weather. She didn't answer, desperately hoping he would drop it. He turned onto his side now, facing her, "Kyra?"

"Lifelike," The word dragged out of her lips, slow and heavy, hanging in the air, "It's as if I'm reliving the battle every time. Half the time, I wake up screaming." She turned on her side, looking at him head on. His eyes were searching her face for emotion. She was certain he could read her plainly; she'd never been good at hiding her emotions.

"I'm sorry," She fixed her eyes at a point behind him. She couldn't speak anymore, her emotions were jumbled and it was impossible to sort them with his eyes on her, "For everything. I'm sorry about your nightmares and I'm sorry for threatening you. I'm sorry for getting mixed up with you now; I'm sure seeing me doesn't make it easy to move on from what happened." His voice was sincere, drenched with regret and pain.

"You don't need to apologize. My nightmares aren't your fault," Kyra knew this was partially a lie, she'd had nightmares about him now that he was around, "And you didn't know I'd be in this group, there was nothing you could have done." She wasn't quite prepared to forgive him for threatening her.

He was incredibly close to her, their faces only a foot apart. Her breathing was shallow as his hand brushed hers as he went to run it through his hair. She sat up, positioning herself to be further from his face. He drew up beside her, adjusting his shirt, "We should probably get back," she nodded quickly, thankful for an excuse to get away from him, "Thank you for following me." His voice was cautious but sincere. Kyra smiled meekly, giving a small nod.

"That's what," she paused briefly, unsure of her words, "friends are for." He grinned lazily and stood, offering her a hand. She grasped it and he helped pull her up. They started back to the dorm, a bit of awkwardness hanging between them.

"So friends, hmm?" He had a cheeky grin plastered to his face, "I thought you couldn't be friends with me." His demeanor had flipped so abruptly Kyra was slightly taken aback. She played along, rolling her eyes and smirking.

"Well you're on the Quidditch team now. I've got to get in with the cool kids." He let out a hardy chuckle, "Congratulations, by the way."

"Oh, why thank you. I'd nearly forgotten I made the team." They talked lightly back to the dorm, where they slipped in quietly, as to not draw attention to themselves.

Kyra avoided him for the remainder of the night; she needed time to sort through her thoughts. Everyone finally left around three in the morning and she thankfully slipped into bed. Her head was reeling, a million thoughts floating around. _Could she be friends with Draco Malfoy?_ The idea seemed so foreign. Even before the battle, before losing Chelsea at his father's hands, before he threatened her, the idea would have been absurd. He may not have murdered anyone but he had been a deatheater. He had been raised with deatheaters. How could someone like that possibly turn out to be a good person? She closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep with thoughts of him filling her brain. Maybe things would be clearer in the morning.


	9. Chapter 8

"Honestly, it's not that difficult to remember, Kyra." She could hear Madison's patience waning as she recited her rhyme about the war of 1652. Kyra had never had trouble in history of magic until this year. This was primarily due to the fact that she'd grown up with the knowledge of basic wizarding history; however, this year was far more detailed. As it turned out, she was terrible with dates and names and essentially anything else you would need to succeed in that class. Kyra huffed and silently recited the words to herself, scribbling them down on a piece of parchment.

"Can we take a break?" Kyra asked in a half-whine. They had been studying for two hours now and she was sure her brain couldn't process any more details about Commander Bovril or the giants that crushed him. Madison let out a breathy laugh and nodded, flipping the book closed and propping her feet up on the table. Kyra tousled my hair briefly, "We should go out tonight. Make something of this weekend." Maddie visibly perked up, her eyebrow raised slightly.

"Like where?" Kyra's mouth twisted up and she brainstormed briefly, wracking her brain for ideas. They hadn't really explored outside the castle so she had no idea what was around them. She glanced around the room, hoping someone would suggest something, anything.

"I heard someone in my arithmancy class mention something about an area just off school grounds. There were some shops and cafes and bars, kinda like Hogsmeade." Malfoy's voice rang out. Kyra picked at a string on her shorts. It had been a few days since she'd spoken to him and she was still unable to make eye contact with him. There were a few murmurs of agreement so she nodded and forced herself to glance in his direction.

"Sounds perfect. Do we wanna get ready and head out in about 30 minutes?" Malfoy offered half a smile when their eyes met but Kyra quickly looked away, searching for responses in everyone else. They all seemed to agree so the boys left rather quickly and she headed into her room, searching out an outfit to wear.

She finally decided on a white crop top with her black ripped shorts. She donned a pair of semi sheer black tights underneath and straightened her hair, her dark crimson bangs falling across her face. Applying a layer of winged eyeliner, she moved on to pick out a shade of lipstick that nearly matched her hair. She smiled weakly in the mirror, adjusting her shirt and turned to step back into the living room where Hayden was seated on the couch.

Kyra flopped down beside her, relaxing her body. Hayden turned to her with a smirk evident on her face, "So what's the deal with you and Draco?" This question was quickly growing old. Kyra shrugged, breathing a laugh, hoping she would drop it, "Oh come on, we're roommates. You can tell me! It's pretty obvious that you've got a little crush." Kyra's cheeks quickly flushed with color and she scrunched up her features into a sour face.

"Not a chance!" Hayden seemed vaguely startled by the tenacity of her response, "Draco and I are…friends," It sounded foreign on her tongue but they had agreed to be friends so it wasn't a lie. It was, however, a sentence she never would have imagined herself saying. She could picture the reaction Chelsea would have had to hearing her tell her she was friends with Draco Malfoy. Her dimples evident and her full cheeks full of color, she would have tossed her head back and let out a hearty chuckle. She was such a lively person; words could never fully capture the effect she had on people. Her ability to make others laugh no matter the situation and the way she seemed to breathe life into any situation; she was truly one of a kind.

"I don't know, Kyra. I've seen how nervous he makes you!" If only she knew, Kyra thought cynically, "But I mean he's clearly into you; I think you should go for it!" She raised an eyebrow and gently nudged Kyra's shoulder. She could feel her eyes widen slightly despite her efforts to appear unphased. Kyra shook her head vehemently, to which Hayden simply chuckled, "No it's true! He definitely has a thing for you. Half the time I look at him, he's looking at you." That couldn't be true. Even if it was, it didn't mean anything. There were plenty of reasons for him to look at her, just like there were plenty of reasons for her to be nervous around him. Neither of those meant that they had any sort of feelings for each other.

"I'm sure that's not true! I definitely don't like him and I'm sure he doesn't like me. I'm so not his type. I mean sure he's attractive and funny and stuff but he's just a friend." Hayden's lips curled into a smirk and she raised an eyebrow suspiciously but the boys soon burst through the door, effectively ending the conversation. Kyra let out a sigh of relief. She didn't like Malfoy; that was absurd. She was hardly tolerating him.

They headed out shortly after the boys arrived, Malfoy leading the way to the area he had told them about. Kyra walked beside Eli, who was emphatically explaining his desire to visit a muggle circus. Kyra listened patiently as he painted a picture of the scene. Truthfully, it sounded dreadful and she couldn't imagine the appeal but she humored him.

Malfoy stepped out the front gate, quickly scanning the scene. There were cobbled roads leading away from the school, the forest surrounding all else. He cocked his head to the side, instructing everyone to follow him to the left, which they did. The sun was beginning to fall beyond the trees so Kyra was hopeful that it wouldn't be much further. They'd not been warned about the forests here but memories of the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts ensured a deep desire to steer clear. Luckily, they only walked another five minutes or so before arriving at the plaza. It was brightly illuminated, streetlights lining the edges. The crowds of students were scarce, the occasional group spotted in the café or shop. Ellie urged their group toward the campy looking bar, which they begrudgingly agreed to go to.

The bar was filled with students, bustling with noise and with the overwhelming stench of butterbeer. They quickly identified a booth and filled in. Very soon after, Derek and Ellie disappeared to retrieve drinks for everyone. They chatted amongst themselves while drinking, admittedly, more than they should have.

Across the bar, Kyra met eyes with a boy. His disheveled brown hair falling in his face, he glanced up at her with a smile. She excused herself from the table, wobbling slightly as she made her way over to him. He introduced himself as Jonathan, slightly slurring his words. Kyra could feel her inhibitions slipping as they talked more.

"This is my second year here," He explained, "I'm hoping to be a journalist. What about you pretty lady?" Kyra giggled at his compliment, heat rising to her cheeks.

"I think I want to be an auror but who knows?" Her words fell over themselves as she leaned against him, "Right now I'm just trying to have fun." She dragged out the word and smirked up at him. She was vaguely aware of his hand grazing her ass.

"Let's go have fun then baby." A cheeky smile crossed his face as he yanked at her arm, pulling her toward the bathroom. Kyra was suddenly blatantly aware of the situation and began to pull her arm back but his grip only tightened. He pushed her roughly against the wall of the bathroom, despite her thrashing against him. His mouth crashed sloppily against hers and he forced his tongue into her mouth, his hands sliding down her body. She shoved as hard as she could but his drunken frame was leaning hard against her, pinning her to the wall. His hand slid back down to her ass, squeezing tightly. As his hand moved away from her ass, it quickly disappeared down her shorts. Kyra thrashed wildly against him, desperately trying to force him off of her to no avail.

Steps were soon echoing off the tiles of the bathroom floor. Kyra tried her best to scream out but it was muffled by his mouth. Suddenly, the pressure of his body was lifted off her and a crack reverberated around the dingy, cracked walls of the bathroom. She looked around in panic, spotting Malfoy, who was now on top of Jonathan, his fist repeatedly smashing across his face, blood beginning to flow from his nose. Kyra remained frozen to the wall in fear; she'd seen him angry but nothing like this, he was truly terrifying. He stopped suddenly, a moment of clarity passing over him as he jumped to his feet. Kyra relaxed slightly, still paralyzed with fear. Anger was still pulsing through him visibly and he pulled out his wand, which shocked her into movement.

"Cruc-" Kyra sprung forward, reaching for his arm but he angrily pushed her off of him, "Crucio!" He finished the curse, causing Jonathan to spasm on the floor, his screams echoing around the room. Malfoy quickly pointed his wand at the air around them, "Insulato." He mumbled, causing a bubble to form around them, muting the noises of the bar.

"Malfoy stop!" Kyra shrieked, pulling at his arm again. This time he glanced over at her, spotting her horrified expression. Fear was coursing through her body steadily, anxiety overtaking her. She couldn't believe he was using an unforgivable curse; she knew he was a deatheater but she had really begun to hope he wasn't like that. His eyes widened as he examined the scene around them. With another wave of his wand, Jonathan's body stopped spasming and he was gasping for air, gripping the ground around him. Malfoy never took his eyes off Kyra, clearly distraught by his own actions but more concerned about her reaction.

"Kyra…" He started, cautiously, but she ran, fear flooding her brain. Her skin was pulsing, the alcohol still swimming in her veins. She ran out the doors of the bar, realizing now how late it was, the sky completely dark, light only touching the spots under the streetlamps. The other shops were shrouded in darkness, evidently closed. Her legs were numb as she ran further through the plaza, unsure where she was headed.

She stopped, her hands on her knees, breathing heavy. Turning to the side, she heaved, throwing up. Her body felt weak as she stumbled further along the cobbled roads of the plaza, collapsing on a hill between streetlamps. She held her face in her hands, doubled over. Her head was spinning, her thoughts swirling. She could hardly focus on her surroundings as she tried to digest everything that just happened. She was suddenly feeling nauseous again.

Hearing footsteps, her head snapped up, spotting the glowing light down the road drawing closer. Panic filled her, but her body felt too weak to move. She clenched her eyes shut, hoping they would simply leave.

As the light floated closer, she could see Malfoy's face illuminated in the light of his wand. He appeared to spot her at the same time, visibly relaxing. She sighed deeply; she really didn't want to see him now. She needed time to process; it wasn't as if she thought he would hurt her but the sight of him using the cruciatus curse had chilled her to the bone. It was as if he truly was the person she had originally imagined him to be.

"Kyra! Thank Merlin," He exclaimed, settling in beside her, resting his wand on the ground between them, the glow casting shadows around them. Kyra kept her head down, unable to meet his gaze, "I'm sorry you had to see that. I know you already had your reservations about me and I'm sure this didn't help but I promise you I never intended for this to happen," She remained silent, unsure her voice would even work if she opened my mouth, "I just…when I saw him on you…and saw what he was going to do I just…I lost it. I was scared for you and angry. It made me so angry. I ripped him off and couldn't stop punching. I was seeing red and couldn't control myself anymore. I didn't even know what I was doing. Before I knew it, my wand was out and…" His voice trailed off and Kyra winced, remembering what happened in vivid detail, "I'm sorry Kyra," He mumbled again, his voice low, "I just wanted to help but couldn't stop once I started." He was barely audible now. Kyra glanced up, his head was hung, a frown etched onto his face.

"Thank you," She squeaked. She wasn't sure he had even heard her but his head raised slowly, his eyes connecting with hers, "For getting him off of me," she continued slowly, "If you hadn't been there, he might have…" she couldn't finish the thought, nausea rising in her throat again. They sat in silence for several minutes, unsure what to say, "What did you do to him?" She wasn't sure she wanted the answer.

"Just a memory charm. I cleared the blood off his face and sent him out of the bathroom. He probably has a broken nose and hurts like hell but he doesn't remember what I did to him," She sighed in relief, he was alive. Secretly, she was pleased that he would still hurt. He deserved to be in pain for what he did; he didn't deserve the cruciatus curse but he did deserve to hurt, "I'm so sorry, Kyra. I'm sorry for what he did to you and I'm sorry for losing it. I couldn't let him get away with hurting you though." He wouldn't break eye contact with her.

"Careful Malfoy. Looks like you're going soft." Kyra did her best to force a small laugh. She couldn't think about what happened anymore, not with him staring at her. He skeptically raised an eyebrow, seemingly judging whether or not she was actually joking.

"No chance!" He stated matter-of-factly. She stifled a giggle.

"Oh I think you are. You're a big ole' softy." His eyebrows narrowed, his mouth twisted up into a smirk.

"Watch it, punk," He threatened jokingly. Kyra rolled her eyes, sighing. His eyes were still glued to her, watching her expressions carefully. Despite her attempts to feel better by joking around, she was still shaking. Though she hoped he didn't notice, she knew he did, "I really am sorry." His tone was soft and cautious. She met his eyes, biting her lip. He seemed so sincere but only five minutes before he was torturing someone. Regardless of his reasoning, he made it clear that the darkness in him was real.

"Can we not talk about it anymore?" The words came out sharper than she had intended and saw him visibly shrink back. She wasn't accustomed to such a reaction from him, "I just need to calm down for a bit," She bit her lip, looking past him. He nodded and stood to leave but turned, vague surprise painting his face as she grasped his arm, "Stay?" She couldn't be alone now; she didn't want him to talk about it but she didn't want to be left alone. He studied her briefly before nodding and folding down beside her again.

They sat in comfortable silence for a while before he started quietly, "Kyra?" she perked her head up, meeting his pale eyes, "Why are you bothering to give me a chance?" she sucked in a breath, contemplating his question. She wasn't entirely sure.

She thought hard for several minutes, there were a few reasons but none she felt comfortable voicing aloud, "I don't know." She mumbled after several uncomfortable moments, her eyes shifting to the ground. She could feel his eyes on her, clearly expecting her to continue. Glancing up, she was overwhelmed with guilt. Malfoy's face was wracked with an emotion she couldn't quite identify, "I guess…" she hadn't wanted to admit it, "Maybe I need someone that knew what the battle was like just as badly as you do." she looked up at him from under her eyelashes. Malfoy seemed taken aback by her answer.

The cold night air was biting at her skin, Goosebumps rising along her arms. She shivered slightly, wrapping her arms around herself, rubbing her hands along her arms in an attempt to warm herself. Malfoy reached his arm out, wrapping it around her, pulling her against his side. She jumped at his touch, her body going rigid. She relaxed soon, sinking into his body. They sat in silence for nearly twenty minutes before she looked up at him, her heart beating out of her chest. Their eyes met and she could feel his face leaning closer to her, keeping his eyes locked with hers. The breath stopped in her throat. He paused, his face only centimeters from her own, his warm breath brushing against her skin. As he moved in further, she turned her head out of the way.

He abruptly sat up straight, causing Kyra to move away from him. Glancing at her embarrassed, he mumbled a quick apology, "Sorry I don't know what I was thinking." She watched him intently as he stood and walked back toward the bar. After a few minutes of allowing her breathing to regulate, she made her way back to the dorm. She needed to sleep and think about what happened tonight and what it meant.

She kept a tight grip on her wand the entire way back to the dorm, carefully examining her surroundings as she went. As she entered the room, she took little time in retreating to her bed, her head swimming. So much had happened tonight and she was horribly overwhelmed. She stared out the window, watching as the sealife swam by. She could hardly focus, however, as the memories of the evening clouded her head.

Suddenly, Hayden's voice filled her head. Maybe she was right; maybe Kyra did have a small crush on Malfoy. _NO I can't have feelings for him, she thought. I saw what he did tonight; he's dangerous._

As she drifted to sleep, her subconscious mind wandered into thoughts of him. While she wouldn't allow herself to think it; tonight had changed everything.


	10. Chapter 9

The familiar blue tinted sunlight streamed in the window, immediately aggravating Kyra's eyes. Despite the lake obstructing the view, the window still let in a fair amount of light and mornings could be quite bright. Unfortunately, last night's events and numerous drinks were wreaking havoc on her head. She squinted, clumsily moving her arm over her eyes to block out the light.

Across the room, she could hear Hayden stirring, a groan escaping her lips as she rolled over in bed, clearly experiencing the same feeling Kyra was. Sighing deeply, she swung her legs over the side of her bed, forcing herself to stand. Her head spun wildly when she got to her feet but she dragged herself out of the room, only to see the boys in the common room. Malfoy, Eli, and Derek were passed out on the couches, their bodies slung over the edges. Marcus was in the kitchen, leaning against the counter, a cup of tea gripped tightly in his hands.

"Where'd you disappear to last night?" His voice was hushed. Leaning against the counter beside him, Kyra shrugged, sheepishly forcing an excuse about getting tired. He appeared skeptical but brushed it off, "I wish someone would wake up already, our hangover potion is in the room but I can't seem to find my wand so I can't get in." Kyra chuckled quietly, shaking her head. There was a small rustling as Malfoy turned over, his eyes fluttering open. Marcus was soon rushing over to him.

"What the fuck?" Malfoy mumbled as he noticed Marcus coming at him.

"You've got your wand, right?" Marcus' voice was desperate. Malfoy nodded, gripping around him and finally pulling out his wand. He stifled a groan and rose to his feet, following Marcus out of the room. Kyra stumbled over; slumping into the couch Malfoy had just been on. Rubbing her fingers on her pulsing temples, she let out a quiet sigh. She glanced around the room. Eli and Derek were outstretched, their long bodies hanging off the edges of the furniture.

The boys quickly returned, a few vials of a hangover potion Malfoy had brewed in their hands. Marcus tossed one to Kyra, which she quickly downed, the thick blue substance sliding down her throat. The nausea quickly dissipated, the headache following soon after. Marcus visibly relaxed seconds after downing the contents of his vial. Malfoy glanced at Kyra, smiling warmly. Confusion graced her face but she quickly regained her composure, shooting him an equally friendly look.

"Get a bit sloppy last night, Harding?" Malfoy smirked, surprising her with his use of her last name. She blinked and tilted her head slightly.

She didn't have a chance to reply as Maddie and Ellie emerged from their room, Ellie clutching her head. Marcus tossed them each a vile, which they happily accepted. Settling in beside Kyra, Malfoy leaned over, whispering in my ear.

"During lunch, excuse yourself and I'll meet you in the hallway. I need to talk to you." His face didn't give away anything as he quickly reverted back to offering witty responses to everyone's stories from the previous night.

"I'll be back in a few," Kyra excused herself from the long mahogany table of the cafeteria. Coolly striding out into the hallway, she continued a few feet before ducking into a staircase, waiting for Malfoy to find her.

Nearly five minutes later, she could hear the echo of his footsteps on the stone tiled floor drawing nearer to her. She stepped back into the hallway, causing him to stop abruptly as not to crash into her.

"You should really watch where you're walking, Malfoy." She mirrored the smirk he had given her earlier. He rolled his eyes, placing his hand on the small of her back to guide her into a nearby classroom where he shut the door behind them.

"Are you okay? I figured you wouldn't want to talk about what happened last night in front of everyone so I wanted to talk privately." She was certainly not okay. Between the boy in the bar, watching Malfoy hurt him, and…whatever happened between them at the end of the night, she was struggling to hold herself together, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm peachy," She stated convincingly, "Don't get all mushy on me." She didn't need a repeat of last night and she was hoping that if she could avoid talking about it, he would return to the same arrogant, snarky boy from Hogwarts. _That would make it easier to avoid developing feelings for him_. The thought swirled around her subconscious but was quickly silenced.

A flash of emotion crossed his face, disappearing in an instant, "Not likely, doll. Just here to save the day." He winked, sufficiently assuring her that her plan had worked. She scrunched up her nose distastefully, rolling her eyes as she brushed past him out of the classroom.

Returning to the table, Kyra sat down, quickly involving herself in Hayden's discussion about the best flavor of Bertie Botts. Malfoy returned soon after, sliding into the seat beside her, inserting his opinion that pumpkin was undeniably the best.

"You could definitely nail her, mate," Malfoy declared haughtily, directing his attention toward Derek, who had been expressing interest in a girl from his Herbology class, "Send her a note in class telling her to meet you in the broom closet after class. Works every time." Kyra rolled her eyes.

"Will you stop talking? You're not allowed to give advice anymore, you're disgusting," Malfoy narrowed his eyes at her comment, "Invite her to hang out back at the dorms one night. We could set up a movie night or something! Be sure to compliment how nice she looks when she gets here so she knows you're interested." Kyra could hear Malfoy snickering, though she avoided looking over at him and giving him the satisfaction.

"Yeah great idea. Become friends with her first so you feel obligated to cuddle afterwards and make awkward small talk," Kyra huffed, narrowing her eyes, "I'm telling you, just be straight up. The broom closet is ideal. There's no potential for her hanging around after; quick and easy!" Kyra pressed her tongue into her cheek, irritated.

"There's no reason to be an asshole. Honestly, don't listen to Malfoy. He's a pig that doesn't know how to treat women. You'll notice he hasn't gotten with anyone this year so obviously his methods are stellar." Sarcasm was heavy in her voice as she concentrated on Derek, willfully looking past Malfoy.

"I just don't want to make you jealous, baby." He cooed, a smirk rising to his lips. Kyra scoffed, a look of disgusted painted across her face.

"Don't call me baby." She spat with venom in her voice. He raised an eyebrow, the smirk still plastered to his face. He had been particularly irritating today since she'd blown him off; any hint of that Malfoy had disappeared. Though this had been her plan, she was now partially regretting it as he had become nearly intolerable.

"Will you two stop?" Derek pleaded, his eyes flickering between the two of us, "I'll invite her over for a movie." Kyra smiled triumphantly, Malfoy's face falling in defeat.

"This is such a mistake," He whined, then turning toward Kyra, "When things go wrong for him, it will be your fault!" She shook her head with a laugh.

Kyra returned a smile to Dean, who had moved to sit with his roommates. She glanced down at the empty seat to her left. As someone slid into the seat, she sighed and shut her eyes, hoping it wouldn't be who she thought it was. Begrudgingly, she opened her eyes, spotting the head of white blonde hair and a set of icy blue eyes looking back at her.

Malfoy had been sitting next to her the past few classes and while it may have been uncomfortable, they had gotten along. Today, however, she wanted nothing to do with him. After this weekend, she couldn't stand to be near him. She'd been upset enough about the night at the bar but with his behavior, it was truly setting her on edge. She had no patience for him.

She saw him open his mouth to speak but, thankfully, their teacher had made his way to the front of the class.

"Hello everyone, I hope you all had a wonderful weekend," Their arithmancy teacher, Professor Barnes, started with a smile. Kyra sighed, trying to repress memories of the weekend, "I have your tests ready so I'll hand them out now." Professor Barnes was a short, plump man with a shiny, bald circle in the center of his head. He was quite friendly, a smile always warmed his face. Kyra grinned up at him as he placed her test down in front of her. As expected, she had received an A. Arithmancy was easy for her, math coming naturally. Barnes flashed his crooked teeth at her, "Good work, Harding." Her eyes followed him as he set Malfoy's test down, his smile fading, "Mister Malfoy, you should consider seeking out a tutor. Perhaps Miss Harding could be of assistance." He wandered away, leaving Malfoy and Kyra alone in uncomfortable silence. She glanced down at his test. He'd gotten a D, though he seemed unphased.

Her mouth drew up as she met his eyes. She gave him a sympathetic look, hoping he wouldn't follow Barnes' advice. She could feel her stomach folding into knots. The idea of spending more time with him sent waves of anxiety through her body. Malfoy was clearly capable of dark things if he was angry. Just because he had been protecting her before doesn't mean he wouldn't hurt her if she got in his way.

"Well what do you say, Harding? Meet me tonight after dinner over by the lake? Maybe I'll even help you with potions." A lump rose in her throat. Being around him was bad enough, never mind being alone with him.

"Can't we just stay in the common room?" She croaked, avoiding his gaze. He glanced skeptically at her, a hint of amusement playing on his lips.

"No, I would never be able to concentrate," Kyra quickly wracked her brain for another reason to stay in the common room but the professor was clearing his throat at the front of the room. Malfoy lowered his voice, "Don't worry doll, you can trust me." He winked before returning his attention to the front of the room.

Kyra sat silently for the remainder of class, avoiding Malfoy's gaze, quietly brainstorming ways to get out of meeting him tonight with little success.

Idly twirling her thumbs, Kyra leaned back in the grass, staring up at the thin streaked clouds. The sky was stained pink, the faint buzz of fireflies filling the air. She took a deep, tightening her grip around the arithmancy textbook in her hands. She'd wandered down rather slowly after dinner but Malfoy was still not here.

After nearly ten minutes, she let out a sigh, stretching and standing. She took several steps toward the door before it swung open, Malfoy striding out and stopping short as he spotted her.

"You weren't going to ditch me were you?" There was a smirk plastered to his face as he strut past her, settling in where she'd just been sitting. He turned back toward her, expectantly, "Well are you coming?" She rolled her eyes, begrudgingly returning to her spot beside him.

"So what do you need help with?" Kyra started with a sigh, "Just this chapter?" She could have sworn she saw a flicker of embarrassment dance across his features.

"Why don't you start at the beginning?" His voice was hesitant. Kyra grimaced, realizing this could be a long session. Nodding, she flipped the textbook open to the first chapter.

Malfoy spent several minutes quietly listening to her explain the basics, his eyes flicking between the textbook and Kyra. After addressing the first concept, she stopped, "Is this making sense?" He shook his head, clearly discouraged, his eyebrows drawn together. She glanced up at him briefly before flipping forward to a chart on the next page. She ran her finger along it, explaining how it worked, hoping the visual guide would be easier for him to digest. He studied it carefully for a moment, following the line her finger had drawn. Kyra quieted for a moment to allow him to process her words, to which his head snapped back up expectantly. She continued, using another chart on the following page, quickly realizing how he learned best. They spent nearly thirty minutes flipping through the chapter, Malfoy occasionally asking a question but primarily just nodding his head.

As the sun set, it became more difficult to read the pages and Kyra could feel his attention waning nearly halfway through the second chapter, "Why don't we stop there?" she suggested quietly, bringing his attention back to her, as it had wandered out over the lake. He ran a hand through his messy blonde hair with a sigh before nodding.

"Thank you for doing this, Kyra," His voice was soft, lofty, as though his thoughts were elsewhere. The sound of crickets echoed through the emptied grounds around them, "I know you're probably sick of me and I know this weekend has probably made it even more difficult to be around me but I really appreciate you doing this. I understand if you can't forgive me for what I did to that piece of shit but please don't be scared of me. I don't want you think that's who I am." It was difficult to believe him. Her gut told her to trust him but her head was so certain he was dark- perhaps darker than she was willing to consider. His father was a killer. Malfoy may not have killed anyone but with a family that dark, there's bound to be that potential in him.

Kyra drew in a sharp breath, "Don't mention it." She couldn't form words to express how he made her feel. This weekend had destroyed any progress they had made. Even with progress, however, it would never change anything. He was the spitting image of his father and it made it near impossible to look at him without the image of Lucius and Chelsea filling her mind. It may not have been his fault but she would never be capable of fully seeing past his family.

She watched him carefully as he began to lean back, opening his mouth to speak again.

"I'm going back inside. I'll see you later." Her words were rushed as she quickly jumped up, taking full strides away from him. She took care not to look back as she stepped back inside. She may not have been able to get away from him for very long but she needed a break.

~~~~author's note~~~~ i've gone through and updated these so they would be written in the third person


	11. Chapter 10

Kyra poked sleepily at her breakfast, bits of scrambled eggs strewn across her plate. She was sitting in silence at the table in the cafeteria with Madison. The long tables were empty aside from a scattered few across the room.

Glancing up, she noticed the spotted brown own that belonged to their family flying across the room. She dropped a copy of the Daily Prophet on the table in front of her. Her dad worked at the paper so he had been sending her copies each week.

She quickly spotted an article her father had circled in red, an interview with the new Minister of Magic. Upon further inspection, she noticed it was his own piece. She skimmed it briefly before her eyes travelled to a moving picture on the front page. The familiar face of Amycus Carrow stared back at her, unwavering. She gulped hard, memories of their punishment flooding her brain. She studied the page, identifying the article about the former professor. In large block letters in the center of the page read, "AMYCUS CARROW FOUND NOT GUILTY, RELEASED." Kyra's heart stopped and she reread the article dozens of times, processing the words. Alecto had been found guilty and sentenced to death the previous week. Kyra had no doubt in her mind that Amycus was guilty. She was, often, more sadistic than her brother. She began to dissect the article; the ruling had been a shock to all following the trial. It seemed as though all signs pointed to her being found guilty. Kyra felt her stomach drop as she continued on, " _Amycus and brother, Alecto, were suspected of involvement after confession from former deatheater, Draco Malfoy, nearly four months previous."_ Nausea came in waves, her breathing nearly coming to a stop. _Draco turned them in._ Her mind reverted back to the conversation she had last week with him. He had mentioned that he had given names and that it had put him in danger but it hadn't truly sunk in until now.

Kyra quietly excused herself from the table, grabbing the paper and bolting toward the dorms, the second she was out of sight. She could hardly feel her feet hit the floor as she bounded down the halls, stopping short outside of the boy's dorm. She rapped her hand against the door aggressively. Waiting impatiently, she tapped her foot on the floor. Marcus opened the door, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"What are you doing, Kyra?" He asked, slight irritation ringing in his voice. Kyra attempted to search behind him for Malfoy.

"Is Draco here? I need to talk to him." Marcus stepped to the side, letting her past him. She strode into the dorm, looking around the room. It was identical to their own but backwards. She turned back toward Marcus and he pointed toward the room at the far end. She swung the door open, spotting Malfoy curled up in bed. The second bed was empty, leaving Malfoy and Kyra alone in the room as she shut the door behind her.

She took in his sleeping figure, lying on his stomach. One of his long legs was stretched out, the other folded up at his waist. The mop of blonde hair was a mess, bits of hair sticking up in several directions, a bit of a knot forming on the back of his head. He stirred slightly before rolling onto his back. After a moment, he settled again.

Kyra sat carefully on the edge of his bed, gently nudging his shoulder. He started up, frantically looking around for a moment, attempting to understand what was happening.

"What are you doing here, Harding?" He demanded groggily. She held the paper up, pointing to the picture of Amycus. Malfoy froze, realization sinking in. His fear was unlike any she had ever seen. He didn't move or speak, the only noise coming from the boys just outside the door. She could hear their conversation fairly clear. They were discussing, in hushed voices, their theories of why she had stormed in, followed by several crude comments. Kyra focused her attention back to Malfoy, whose expression had not been effected. He looked horrified; his eyes were dead, color drained from his face.

"Draco?" His first name sounded foreign on her tongue. His eyes snapped up in her direction at the sound of her voice, pulling him from his thoughts, "If Amycus is free, does that mean you're in danger?" Her voice was soft, cautious. She was certain of the answer but needed to hear him say it. She needed to know exactly what kind of danger he was in- the kind of danger they were all in.

"It means I'll be dead within the next two months." His voice was steady, not giving away his fear anymore. A swell of emotion rose in Kyra's gut, waves of nausea washing over her.

"We won't let her kill you." She whispered, attempting to mask her feelings. He shook his head with determination.

"There is no 'we', Harding. No one else knows who I am and no one else will. The more they know, the more danger they are in. I'm not going to let that happen." He was sharp and didn't falter. His mind was made up.

"So you're just going to let her kill you?" Kyra had raised her voice considerably, "Look, I know you think you deserve it or maybe you're just scared or whatever but I've had to sit back and watch enough of my friends die because of death eaters. I'm not going to sit back anymore." She was absolute and she was angry.

"You lost a friend?" Malfoy's voice was soft and gentle. His hypnotizing eyes were sympathetic. Kyra felt my stomach fall, realizing what she'd said.

"I…yeah. My best friend was killed." She stated sheepishly, hoping he would drop it. He fell silent for a minute, looking down.

"What was she like?" He was practically inaudible. Kyra glanced up at him, her mouth drawn into a tight line. She didn't want to talk about Chelsea with him.

"She was the greatest person I've ever met. She was my best friend in the world and she made me laugh when no one else could. She was the only person I could talk to about my problems and now she's gone. Can we not talk about it anymore?" he met her eyes briefly, nodding, "So what are you gonna do about Amycus?" She asked, quickly changing the subject.

"I don't know yet. I suppose for the time being I just keep my head down. I'm sure she'll find me before too much longer but I'll just have to deal with that when it happens." The confidence had returned to his voice.

"Is that really a good plan? Shouldn't you have some sort of plan for when she finds you? Malfoy you can't let her kill you. Please make a plan." Kyra was pleading with him. She still wasn't sure why she cared so much about his well being but the idea of losing him killed her.

"Fine. You want to hear my plan, Kyra?" His voice had taken a dangerous tone. She nodded her head regardless, "My plan is to keep you safe at any costs. I honestly do not give a shit what happens to me but I need to make sure she doesn't hurt you." Her eyebrows drew together in confusion, "Or anyone else, ya know." He added shortly after.

"Well I won't let her hurt you either." She whispered, averting her eyes. She could feel Malfoy's eyes on her. She didn't want it to happen but she could feel herself warming up to him, "But you have to promise me you'll fight." She kept her eyes locked on his. She wasn't going to stand down on this.

Draco pressed his lips together, shutting his eyes for a moment in frustration. "Okay but only if you promise to tell me about your friend." He noticed her visible discomfort, "It doesn't have to be today but someday I want you to tell me." Kyra relaxed slightly, nodding. She could deal with someday. A loud beeping sounded around the room as his alarm went off, "Alright, now get outta here so I can change – unless you want to stay and watch." He offered with a smirk. Holding up her hands, Kyra stood but stopped at the door.

She could feel a lump rising in the pit of her stomach. The boys were outside the door, talking animatedly about something she couldn't quite make out. They were laughing and joking and carefree. It hit her full force at that moment how unprepared they were to fight a battle like this. These boys had never fought a war. They had no idea the sort of danger they were in. Amycus Carrow was a dangerous witch and she was angry. It didn't matter that they didn't know about Malfoy's past. He cared about them and that alone put them in danger. Kyra could feel her skin begin to crawl as she listened to the muted sound of their laughter. She couldn't keep them in the dark. Every one of their friends needed to know what they were up against. They all needed to prepare for the battle that was headed their way. Keeping this from them wasn't helping anyone and she knew it.

Kyra spun back around, noticing he had already stripped off his shirt and was peeling off his pants. He raised an eyebrow at her but she only ignored him as she pulled out her wand, muttering a silencing charm on the door.

"Oooh silencing the door – you must get loud. I always had a feeling you would be." He started with a wink. Rolling her eyes, she crossed her arms over her chest, shielding the slight view he had.

"No," She corrected him, hoping to avert his train of thought, "We need to tell them. We are all in danger and if we don't tell them, all it will do is prevent them from preparing for this. They need to know what is coming so they can be ready when it happens. If you want to keep them safe, this is the way." Kyra stood firm, attempting to keep her eyes off his uncovered skin. His eyes were briefly clouded as he considered her words. They focused on her again after a moment. He sighed and took a seat on his bed, putting his head in his hands.

"They're going to hate me." He stated it matter-of-factly. Kyra chewed on the inside of her lip, realizing they might hate her too for keeping this from them. Sure, she had originally kept this from them because she was afraid he would hurt her but that simply wasn't the case anymore. She should have told them from the start.

"They'll hate us both. But its better that they are prepared and can keep themselves safe. I would much rather lose them as friends than risk letting them get hurt because we didn't warn them." She had taken a seat beside him on the bed and he glanced up at her. They locked eyes and he refused to look away, causing a strange anxiety to flood her chest that she hadn't felt before. Her heart was beating faster again as his icy blue eyes connected with hers. She could feel her breathing begin to falter and finally tore herself away from his gaze.

"We need to tell them now. Why don't you get the girls and meet us in your dorm?" He suggested quietly. Kyra took a deep breath, seemingly trying to regulate her breathing. Nodding, she quickly stood, making her way out of his room, grabbing the newspaper off the bed before she left.

Kyra moved quickly through the halls, weaving in and out of crowds of students that seemed to have just flooded out of their rooms. She'd never made it to the cafeteria so quickly before. She spotted Ellie and Hayden sitting with Madison in the spot she'd been in earlier. She sighed deeply, realizing her friendships with these girls could dissolve after this. With all the courage she had left, she strode confidently to the table and leaned down over them.

"So I really need to talk to you girls. I hate to make a scene but it's really important and I need you guys to come back to the dorm with me. I can't get into it here but we need to talk right now." She received several puzzled faces in return but they all came with little questioning.

As they made it back to the dorm, the boys were already sitting on the couches, Malfoy pacing back and forth in the kitchen. They made eye contact again as she walked in and he nodded softly. She could feel her anxiety rising and her asked the girls to sit down. Malfoy wandered back over to where Kyra stood in the center of the room, facing the group.

He glanced at her one final time before taking a deep breath and speaking, "So we have to tell you all something…"


	12. Chapter 11

"So I should have told you all this from the beginning but there's something you don't know about me." Draco was speaking cautiously, choosing every word carefully. Kyra took deep labored breaths, watching everyone's faces anxiously, "When I was at Hogwarts, I had bad decisions forced upon me. My parents were followers of….well to be blunt, they were followers of Voldemort." Shock graced the faces of everyone around the room, "As he was rising to power, I was forced to follow in their footsteps to stay alive." He paused for a moment, an uncomfortable silence falling on the dorm, "So I was a deatheater in my last two years at Hogwarts. It was something I would never have chosen for myself and I'm ashamed of it but you all needed to know."

"Why would you decide to tell us now?" Hayden piped up in a nervous, quiet voice Kyra had never heard her use before.

"Because after the war, I went to trial and I was required to give up some names. This made the remaining followers very angry so I came here. Unfortunately word got out about where I am. But now, someone very dangerous has been found not guilty and she is undoubtedly going to come find me. That being said, this will put all of you in danger. You all need to prepare for this. You need to be ready in case she comes." Everyone's eyes darted around, nervously looking at each other. Kyra gulped.

"Did you know about this, Kyra?" Eli asked, disappointment practically dripping from his voice. Kyra nodded, biting her lip. She was overwhelmed with emotion and was near the verge of tears. She couldn't handle everyone's disappointed looks.

"I made Kyra promise not to tell you. She wanted to tell you from the beginning. This isn't her fault." Malfoy quickly inserted. Kyra glanced over at him, thankfully. She hadn't expected him to defend her but she was incredibly grateful. "Now I know you will probably hate me. I put you in danger and I've been a part of something beyond terrible. I don't expect you to forgive me or like me but I do need you to prepare for what's coming. You don't need to like me but you need to be ready. You need to practice your defensive spells. You need to practice your offensive spells. You need to be prepared to put everything you have learned your entire lives to use because you will need it." Looks were exchanged around the room for several moments after he finished speaking. Kyra kept her eyes glued to the ground.

"I can't speak for everyone here," Kyra's head flew up at the sound of Derek's voice, "But I like you bro. You're a good dude and I'm ready to fight for you if it comes to that." His voice was confident and met by several nods around the room. Malfoy visibly relaxed, the hint of a smile forming on his face.

"Okay well we need to figure out a plan. And we should probably start practicing spells in our free time. We need to do everything we can to be ready for this." Kyra and Draco took seats alongside the rest of the group, beginning to plan. They skipped their classes for the day, figuring out the best plan of action, attempting to predict the most likely ways Alecto would attack.

"Since she isn't going to want to end up back in Azkaban, she will want to attack in a way that attracts as little attention as possible. People can't apparate into the school right?" Ellie asked.

"No I don't think so. She would have to find another way in or find a way to lure me out." Draco responded, his eyes nervously flickering to the newspaper that was laying on the table in front of us.

"What about the floo network? Would she be able to get in through our fireplace?" Marcus asked, nervously eying the fireplace across the room.

"No they don't let you in through the school fireplaces." Kyra answered, discouraged, "I think she would have to break in somehow. It will be harder for her but not impossible. Draco, how long do you think it will be before she tries to attack?" Malfoy sat quietly for a moment, his face twisted up in thought.

"She will probably wait until after Amycus has been executed so it will probably be another two or three months." Draco mused, sighing. There was hardly any time to get everyone fully prepared for this. Three months wasn't long enough to train for a battle. It was time to admit they may be in over their heads.

"Do you think that maybe we should call in some back up?" Kyra suggested quietly, nearly inaudible. She was nervous about suggesting this. Malfoy's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "I know there is some tension there but maybe we should consider calling in what's left of Dumbledore's Army…" Her voice trailed off. Quite a few members of the DA had been killed in the Battle of Hogwarts but there was still a decent amount left. While Kyra had never been particularly close with Harry, Ron, or Hermione, she had gotten to know Fred and George rather well. Chelsea had dated George on and off for most of fifth year. They were together when the twins decided to drop out and start the shop. She knew that if she called him, he would surely come. Kyra had also gotten very well acquainted with Neville during her seventh year. They were practically a couple when the battle happened. After she lost Chelsea, though, she couldn't be around anyone. She had only seen him at the funeral since.

"I don't think they would come to protect me." Draco started, frustration lacing his voice, "You'll remember I wasn't exactly close with any of them." Kyra let out a deep sigh. He wasn't wrong. Harry and Draco's rivalry was often the topic of school rumors.

"It doesn't hurt to try though. They know how to fight a war and they did a pretty good job training kids in Dumbledore's Army. They were teaching everyone how to fight in battle. That is exactly what we need right now. It might not work but I think we need to at least attempt to reach out." Kyra watched Draco carefully, studying the conflict that was etched onto his face. He was hesitant but Kyra knew this was probably their only chance at beating Deatheaters. Malfoy finally conceded, letting out a deep sigh and nodding. With a small smile, Kyra stood up to start her letter.

" _Dear Neville,"_ She scrawled onto the blank sheet of paper, " _I know it's been a while. After I lost Chelsea, I needed some time to figure out who I was. I'm in America now at Fanderbold. I know that this may seem strange but I need a favor from you."_ Kyra paused, considering the best way to approach this. Malfoy had never been particularly kind to Neville, " _You know I wouldn't ask if it wasn't incredibly important. I need you to gather as much of Dumbledore's Army as you can. The group of friends I've made at university is in danger. They don't know how to fight the battle that is coming and I can't think of anyone better to teach them than the Army. Please, please help me, Neville. If you could gather them as soon as possible, I would be forever in your debt. Please get back to me soon. I miss you. –Kyra."_ She folded up her letter, quietly excusing herself as she disappeared out of the dorm, shuffling into the owlery. Kyra guiltily attached the letter to one of the owl's feet and sent him away. She had a nagging feeling in her gut for not telling Neville why she really needed him but she couldn't risk him not coming. This was too important.

When she got back to the dorm, the group was discussing practical ways to defend themselves and having a brief discussion about the best spells to use in battle. They eventually spread out to different areas of the dorm, Kyra and Eli finding a spot in the corner where he turned to her and gave her a stern look that made her quite nervous.

"So you've known about this since he got here, huh?" Eli started in the same disappointed tone he had used when they first talked about it. Kyra's eyes drifted to the floor.

"Well I knew he had been a deatheater at Hogwarts. I didn't realize being around him would put anyone in danger." That was not necessarily true. She anticipated a different sort of danger - one that would come from Malfoy attacking her directly, "I only found out about that around two weeks ago. He insisted that it was safest for you all if you didn't know anything about him." Eli narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips.

"Why did you trust him? You knew he was a deatheater. Why would you listen to him when he told you not to tell anyone? How did you know he could be trusted? You told me you didn't like him at Hogwarts," Kyra cringed, remembering the night she had accidently told him that, "So why did you decide to trust him here?" She glanced back down at the ground, attempting to decide on an answer that didn't divulge the details of how he threatened her into staying quiet.

"Well I mean, I definitely didn't like or trust him when he got here," She started cautiously, "But he insisted that he wasn't really the person I knew then. He asked me to give him another chance to prove he was a different person and I've always believed in second chances." It was not entirely true. He had tried to convince her he wasn't the same person but she had not believed him. She, even today, was not entirely forgiving about the things that happened because of his family. Eli sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, "But he did." He glanced back up at her at the sound of her voice, "He proved to me that he wasn't that person. He showed that he is capable of being an incredible person who truly cares for people. He surprised me and I'm glad I gave him a chance because he would do anything to protect any of us." The words took Kyra by surprise as they fell from her mouth.

"So why aren't you two together yet?" Eli replied with a smirk. Kyra sat up straight, furrowing her brow, "Oh come on, Kyra. You clearly have feelings for him and he very clearly has feelings for you too." He cocked his head to the side in Malfoy's directly. Kyra's gaze followed and spotted Draco standing across the room, watching them. He quickly averted his eyes as Kyra looked over. She returned her attention to Eli, shaking her head decisively.

"I don't like him like that. He has become a friend I guess but I don't like him." At this point, Kyra wasn't sure who she was trying to convince, "There is too much there. I could never see him like that." Eli raised an eyebrow at her before rolling his eyes. A smirk then rose to his face and his eyes panned up. Kyra felt a tap on her shoulder. She quietly huffed, realizing why Eli was smirking without having to look.

"Kyra, can I talk to you?" The familiar, smooth voice sounded behind her. Eli stood and kept his eyes trained on Kyra, giving her a knowing look as he wandered away. Draco took the seat Eli had just been sitting in, "So we made a plan," He started slowly, a smile dragging onto his face, "That means you need to tell me more about your friend." Kyra grimaced, she was hoping this moment was months away.

"Are you sure you don't want to just wait until after the battle? Or ya know, never." She knew that telling Malfoy about Chelsea would only make her vulnerable and that was the last thing she needed with him. She couldn't even bring herself to think about the way he would feel once he knew. He shook his head so she continued begrudgingly, "Okay but you asked for this – remember that." Kyra paused, waiting for him to urge her on. Malfoy kept his eyes glued to her, expectantly, "So Chelsea had been my friend since we were five. Our parents grew up together and she was like a sister to me. We were in Hufflepuff together and spent all of our time together. She was always making me laugh and smile. She knew everything about me and she was the only person I could go to. She had this fire inside her that I've never seen in anyone. That's the irony, really. She was so alive – so passionate about life – and she died at 17. She brought out the best in me and now she's gone." Malfoy was carefully watching Kyra's emotions as she gushed.

"How did she die?" His voice was quiet, hardly above a whisper. The color was suddenly gone from Kyra's face. Her stomach plummeted ten floors and she was nauseous. She was going to have to tell him. She made a snap decision to avoid Lucius' name to spare Draco's feelings. He didn't need to know the entire story.

"We were fighting in the battle. It was me and her against three other deatheaters. We managed to chase away two of them. I looked away for half a second and that was all it took. He sent a curse that hit some rubble above her. It crushed her. I ran over as quickly as I could and tried to pull it off her but it was too late. I stood up and started hurling curses so he ran. I went back and held her but there was nothing I could do. She died in my arms." Kyra nearly whispered the last sentence, her eyes glazed over. There was a lump forming in her throat and the familiar sting of tears burned at the back of her eyes. She gulped to hold back the tears, taking care not to blink and allow the tears to fall.

"Who was the deatheater?" Kyra froze, she had to lie. She couldn't just tell him that his father killed her best friend. She had to lie and she had to make it convincing.

"Lucius." The word fell quickly from her mouth and she snapped her mouth shut immediately. So much for lying convincingly. It hung in the air for nearly a minute, the tension so thick she couldn't breathe. Draco's face was frozen, staring without seeing at a space beside Kyra's head. He wasn't responding. "Draco?" He still didn't respond. He was unmoving, completely frozen in place. Kyra cautiously moved her arm forward, placing her hand on his arm, shocking him into consciousness.

"I'm so sorry, Kyra. I had no idea." His icy blue eyes were locked with hers, compassion lacing his voice, "It's no wonder you didn't want anything to do with me. I never would have forced my way into your life if I'd known. I'm so sorry." Kyra's hand fell from his arm and she attempted to tear herself away from his intense gaze.

"It isn't your fault. You didn't kill her." Her voice was quiet and serious. She wasn't going to admit that she had been blaming him regardless. Malfoy shook his head.

"I'm just so sorry." He muttered. Kyra nodded in understanding. As much as she wanted to forgive him—as much as she knew she needed to forgive him—a piece of her hadn't been able to let go. Before he had known the truth, she latched onto him because he was as close to Lucius as she could get. As she looked into his eyes now, however, all she felt was the crushing weight of that blame washing over her. As he looked at her with intensity and sorrow, the blame she had placed on him was as far from her mind as possible. She gazed into his eyes and Eli's words began to make sense. Everyone's words began to make sense. Kyra reached a level of clarity she hadn't felt since before Chelsea had died. She quickly became acutely aware of his hand gently resting on her leg and the fire beneath his fingertips.

"Please don't be sorry, Draco. I don't blame you." And for once, Kyra actually meant it.

~~~~Author's note~~~~ this chapter is dedicated to sweettartgotswag because they suggested including Dumbledore's army!


	13. Chapter 12

_Dear Kyra,_

 _I'm so glad to hear from you! No one here had any idea where you had gone. We hadn't seen you after the funeral and we were starting to get worried. I've gotten in contact with Harry and a few others from DA. I've got probably ten or so people on board. With Hogwarts still under construction, most people didn't have anywhere to go this year. We will be heading over this week. Hope you've got room there for all of us! I can't wait to see you again!_

 _Neville_

Kyra reread the letter numerous times, excitement and guilt absorbing her every thought. She was beyond thrilled that everyone had agreed to help but she knew that it would really take some convincing to get everyone to agree once they knew they were really protecting Draco Malfoy. She was just hoping that she could get them to hear her out. She was fairly confident that if she could get them to listen to what she had to say, she could convince them that it was worth staying—if not for Draco then for her roommates who were innocent. However, Kyra also knew that for this to truly work, it would be important that Draco apologized for everything that happened at Hogwarts and that might prove slightly difficult.

She had been strategically avoiding him over the past few days. In part because she wanted to spend time with the girls and insure that this hadn't hurt their friendships at all. However, it was also largely because her moment of clarity had brought forward feelings for Draco that she was not quite prepared to face. As childish as it felt, avoiding him was the only thing keeping her sane for the time being.

Kyra finally folded the letter back up, bounding down the steps of the owlery. She attempted to compose herself a moment before stepping back inside the door. She wasn't entirely sure she wanted to tell everyone that she hadn't exactly told Neville the truth about the reason he was coming. As much as she was dreading it, however, she knew she should probably warn Draco—as well as talk to him about how important it is that he apologizes.

As Kyra swung open the door of the dorm, she was immediately ducking out of the way of a curse that hit the door behind her, leaving a blackened mark. Her head shot up as she noticed Ellie across the room, her face instantly turning red.

Everyone in the group had been practicing their defensive and offensive spells in their free time over the past few days. Unfortunately, they had yet to find an appropriate space to practice in and so ended up practicing in the dorm. This had led to several broken dishes as well as a hole in Ellie and Madison's bedroom door.

"I got a reply." Kyra stated, excitement high in her voice, causing everyone's heads to snap up in her direction. "He said that he got about ten or so people that are going to come over and help us out!" There were several murmurs of excitement buzzing around the room. It was difficult to imagine that everyone was so excited about learning how to fight in this battle. "They should be here in the next week so for now we will keep practicing on our own and try to get ready for them. He didn't say exactly who was coming but with ten people, we are going to need to figure out places for all of them to sleep. Maybe in the next week we can find other furniture for people to sleep on? I'm not sure but we will figure it out." Kyra finished speaking and everyone seemed to dissolve into a frantic buzz.

Striding past them, Kyra stepped into her room, placing the letter on the table beside her bed. She tucked it in between a few books and turned back around on her heel. Kyra jumped nearly a foot when she turned around and discovered Malfoy a few mere inches from her face. He backed up quickly but kept his eyes trained on her.

"Have you been avoiding me?" He asked coolly, a hint of his typical cocky attitude gleaming through in his tone.

"The DA doesn't know you're the one they are coming back to help. It's going to take some convincing to get them to stay but I think we can do it. But I think you are going to need to apologize for everything that happened back at Hogwarts if you are going to get them on your side." Kyra spewed in a less-than-subtle attempt to avoid answering his question. Draco's eyes widened in a concerning mixture of surprise and anger.

"Kyra, how could you not tell them this was about me?" He was livid but speaking in a hushed shout as to not attract the attention of the group. "They are never going to agree to help once they find out I'm the one they are here to help protect. They all hate me, Kyra. All you're going to do is make them angry!" Kyra bit her lip nervously, averting her eyes to the floor. This was certainly a possibility but she had really been convincing herself that it wouldn't come to that.

"I think we'll be okay. I think as long as I can get them to sit down and hear me out, I can convince them that it's worth staying. They might not like you but Hayden and Ellie and Madison and Marcus and Eli and Derek are all innocent people that need to be protected. Besides, like I said, if you apologize for everything you did to them, I think we shouldn't have an issue. Yes, it won't be perfect and you won't be best friends but I think they will agree to help us. As much as they disliked you, I don't think they would be okay with leaving you to die." Draco let out an irritated sigh and ran his fingers through his hair.

"I swear, Kyra, you're trying to kill me yourself with the amount of stress you cause." Kyra smirked up at him, noticing the lopsided grin he was sporting. Her breathing caught in her throat for a moment but she quickly regained herself.

"Oh come on- you're Draco Malfoy. If you can't even handle _me_ , the legends are horribly misleading." He raised an eyebrow at her, his signature smirk returning to his face, a devious flicker behind his eyes.

He took a few steps closer to her, causing her to back up to the wall. Kyra's breathing stopped as she felt her back hit the wall. Malfoy took another step, close enough for their bodies to barely brush. "Believe me, Hardings—I can handle you." He whispered into her ear, leaning into her. "I just don't think you could handle me." He stepped back abruptly, the same smirk plastered to his face before he turned and left the room. Kyra remained frozen to the wall, unable to even consider moving. She finally let out the breath she had been holding in, unpeeling herself from the wall and briefly sitting down on her bed to collect herself. As much as she hadn't been willing to admit it, Draco Malfoy had an effect on her that she had never experienced before and that was something that scared her more than anything in the world.


	14. Chapter 13

"Do you really think Harry is going to come with them?" Ellie mused, pushing the couch into place. Kyra rolled her eyes; Ellie had been making it exceedingly clear that she was a bit of a fangirl. Kyra was nervous it would become a small issue but she pushed it from her mind.

"I don't know, Ellie. Neville said that he had talked to Harry and they had gotten people together. He didn't mention if Harry was coming but he helped get a hold of people. He's probably pretty busy though, I wouldn't get my hopes up." She explained for probably the fifteenth time this week. It had been nine days since Kyra had gotten the letter from Neville so people were due to arrive very soon. They had managed to scrounge up another 2 couches for each dorm. Two people would have to sleep in chairs but it was the best they could do. There was hardly enough space for the couches as it was.

A loud knock sounded at the door, causing Kyra to jump slightly before heading to open it. Draco stood on the other side, worry etched onto his face. He stepped past her and immediately began pacing around the room, swerving around the obstacle course of couches.

"They're here. I saw them. They were wandering around the entrance. Potter was talking to the headmaster. I ran here as quickly as I could. What do you want me to do? Should I be here when they get here or do you want to talk to them first?" He was rambling, running his fingers through his hair and quickly pacing around the room, "Merlin, this is such a horrible idea, Kyra. None of them will want to help me. This is such a mistake. Why did we invite them here?" Kyra grabbed his shoulders tightly, stopping him in his spot. She looked in directly in the eyes, trying her hardest not to falter as he met her with those captivating icy eyes.

"Draco, stop." She said confidently, "It's going to be fine but you need to calm down. Go sit in my room. I'll talk to them and I'll come get you when we're ready for you. Now go and try to relax. It is going to be okay. Think up some great apology while you're waiting." He sighed dejectedly, hanging his head, turning to slump into Kyra's room. He stopped at the door, looking back at her. She simply waved him away so he continued in, shutting the door behind him.

"He said Potter!" Ellie squealed, clearly having held it in. Kyra rolled her eyes, opening her mouth to respond but was interrupted by another knock at the door. She beamed excitedly at Ellie and shuffled to the door, inhaling deeply before opening the door.

She was met with an enthusiastic smile from a boy clad in an argyle sweater. His goofy lopsided grin sent a warm sensation through her body, the smell of plums and cinnamon reminding her of her old life. She grinned back at him, quickly wrapping him up in a hug that seemed to take him by surprise. However, he was soon hugging her body, his arms tightly wrapped around her. He felt familiar in a way Kyra didn't even realize she needed. She was reluctant to let go as he began to pull away from her.

"I've missed you, Kyra." Neville cooed, taking in her appearance. Her mouth curled into a meek smile.

"I missed you too, Neville." They looked intently at each other for a few moments before there was a cough behind them. Kyra glanced up spotting George standing behind Neville. He had a full grin plastered to his face as he towered over her. She quickly broke away from Neville's gaze and crashed into George's open arms. He squeezed her for all she was worth, her feet raising off the ground slightly before he pulled away. Despite how on and off George and Chelsea were, he had been a staple in Kyra's life since fourth year. The battle had been devastating for both of them and it was now abundantly clear to her that, perhaps, they could have helped each other.

Kyra stood back, opening up the doorway, to allow everyone into the dorm. It was then that she got a full look at everyone that had managed to make it out. She waved as Seamus Finnigan passed her, wondering absent-mindedly if he knew what was really going on, considering Dean was here and knew Kyra had become close with Draco. She offered a small smile and wave to Ginny, Cho, and Susan Bones, a Hufflepuff from her year that she had never gotten very close with. Luna lazily flittered toward her, draping her arms around her in a bizarre hug. Kyra had become fairly friendly with Luna during their seventh year when they were in DA together. Luna was one of the only people that had managed to receive an owl back from Kyra after the battle.

Kyra smiled and ushered Luna inside and saw that the couches in the room had filled rather quickly. Ellie was standing in the kitchen, appearing rather disappointed, likely due to the fact that Harry was nowhere to be seen. Madison and Hayden had taken a spot near Eli, Marcus, and Derek and were whispering to each other, seemingly attempting to place names to the kids in front of them. Kyra took a deep breath, and cleared her throat, standing tall in the center of the room.

"So is everyone here?" She asked, her voice sounding less confident than she had hoped it be.

"Harry, Ron, and Hermione got pulled away by the headmaster but they should be here pretty soon." Neville piped up, making a strong eye contact that Kyra couldn't bear to keep. She glanced over to the kitchen, spotting the look of pure glee that had risen to Ellie's face now that she knew for certain that Harry was here.

"Well before I get into why we needed you all, why don't we wait for them? For now, we can just get acquainted with one another and pick back up once we're all here." Kyra took a seat in an empty armchair and allowed everyone to wander around the room, introducing themselves. She glanced up as she noticed Seamus hovering above her.

"I just wanted you to know that I know why we're here. Dean told me about who you became friends with this year. He says that he's not so bad and thinks I should give him a chance. I'm not sure that you'll convince everyone but you should know that I'm willing to stick it out and see how it goes." Kyra gave a broad smile and nodded.

"That means so much to me, Seamus. I know how this must seem but I promise, he really is a different person now." He merely nodded, moving into the kitchen, introducing himself to Ellie while attempting to look suave by leaning against the fridge. Kyra chuckled to herself and perked up as yet another knock sounded at the door. She rose to her feet, nearly stumbling over her legs and swung open the door. Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood on the other side of the door, seemingly healthier than she had seen them in years. Kyra offered quick hello's before showing them into the room. Kyra watched in amusement as Ellie zipped across the dorm, stopping short in front of Harry, clumsily introducing herself and shaking his hand. Kyra cleared her throat and asked everyone to sit down.

Her nerves ran rampant as she looked out at all the sets of eyes. They were all so loyal. Kyra hadn't been very close with most of the people in this room and they still flew across the world when she called them. She was suddenly filled with an immense desire to abandon this plan—Draco could handle himself—these people were the friends she needed to surround herself and if she told them she had called them here for Draco Malfoy they would never trust her again.

Kyra took a deep breath and her eyes fell over Seamus, who was sporting a wide, knowing smile. She gave a meek smile in return and glanced at Neville. His kind eyes studied her expectantly. Kyra let out a final sigh and blinked hard.

"So as you all know, I called you here because my friends and I are in danger. I'm sure you have all heard that Alecto Carrow was recently found innocent. We have reason to believe that she, as well as a few other deatheaters, may be looking to come here and hurt us." The room was stiff and silent for a moment, the air not moving.

"Why would Alecto want to hurt you?" Luna piped in hardly above a whisper. Kyra braced herself, inhaling deeply.

"Because this year one of the kids in my roommates' friend group turned out to be a bit problematic. I want you all to be open minded when I tell you this…" Kyra trailed off, carefully watching the expressions on the faces of her friends. " I know you all will have your reservations and I don't expect you to be warm and welcoming but I need you to step back from the situation and hear me out." She paused, the familiar sensation of vomit rising in her throat but she pushed it back, "This year, I've become friends with Draco Malfoy." Silence. No one spoke for nearly a minute. Kyra couldn't bring herself to continue talking as everyone gaped at her in disbelief.

"Kyra you can't be serious." Harry finally spoke, breaking the silence.

"You have got to be mad." Ron joined in, finding his voice. Kyra wished he hadn't because he had gotten quite loud, "Tell me you didn't call all of us over here—pull us away from our lives—to help Draco Malfoy. You must be barking mad. Why on Earth would I help that git?" He continued in a volume that caused Kyra to cringe away from him.

She took a deep breath, steadying herself, "He isn't the person you knew in Hogwarts. Believe me, I had trouble accepting it too but I've gotten to really know him this past month and he isn't a bad person. He surprised me and I think if you gave him a chance, he could surprise you too."

Several looks of skepticism were traded throughout the room, setting Kyra on edge. Her eyes connected with Neville's. His appreciate was clearly scrawled across his face. Kyra knew she was asking too much of her friends but she had no other option.

"I'm in." Seamus spoke confidently, causing everyone to gawk in his direction. Kyra gave him a thankful look, breathing easier now. She was now just hoping it would encourage the others to agree as well. However, no one else was speaking; Kyra knew she would need to convince them a bit more.

"Look, even if you don't do this for Draco, do it for my other roommates. They didn't know what they were getting themselves into. They don't know how to fight a battle and they could use some practical training in defending themselves. Please," She begged, "Don't let your feelings for Draco get in the way. They could be seriously hurt if they don't have training. Please, you don't owe him anything but I'm begging you. Do it for me. Do it for my roommates. Do it because you know that I wouldn't have called you here unless I truly thought Draco was worth protecting. Trust me, please." There were several minutes of silence while telling looks were exchanged. Just Kyra was certain her nerves couldn't stand anymore, Susan stood up.

"Kyra, I'm sorry but I can't do this. Draco Malfoy tormented me in school and I'm not going to sit here and risk my life to protect him." She fumbled slowly to the door, shutting it loudly behind her. Kyra was quite certain now that she was going to throw up. This was certainly not a good sign.

She glanced around, hoping to make eye contact with someone but everyone was avoiding her gaze. Finally her eyes connected with George. She gave him a pleading look, giving him all the emotion she could through her eyes. He sighed, his lips folding into a tight line.

"I trust you, Kyra. I'll stay." He declared with an edge of irritation in his voice.

"Well I think you're mad. I'm not doing anything for that git. Sorry, Kyra, but I'm out." Ron fumed, though he kept his seat beside Harry. Kyra's eyes finally connected with Harry's, though she couldn't read him.

"I'm not going to stay for Malfoy." Harry finally voiced, Kyra's heart fell. Without Harry, everyone else was sure to leave, "But I'll stay for you and your roommates." Her breathing hitched and she shut her eyes briefly, taking a deep, appreciative breath. She held up one finger, urging them all to stay where they were.

Kyra decided now was the time. She quickly headed to her bedroom, opening the door, slipping inside. She spotted Draco sitting on her bed, looking intently at Kyra's photo of Chelsea. Kyra quickly ripped it from his hands, tucking it away again. Draco glanced up at her, embarrassed. She merely rolled her eyes and took a seat beside him.

"I assume you've been listening, not just messing with my personal belongings?" She spoke, irritation ringing through her voice.

"Yeah, it sounds like its going better than I expected." Kyra nodded, keeping her face neutral.

"I think you need to come out now. If you apologize, we might be able to win over everyone else." Draco shot her a look that normally would have made her falter. However, today, she knew what needed to be done. "You cannot expect these people to just forget about everything you've done to them. Suck it up, be a big boy, and go apologize for being an asshole for 8 years." He scowled at her, his silvery blue eyes narrowed.

"Fine." He spat, standing abruptly and storming out of the room. He stopped short the moment he actually passed over the door frame, every set of eyes in the room swiveling to look at him. Kyra had never seen Draco like his. His body was rigid and she stepped forward, placing a hand on his back, urging him forward. He stumbled a bit but quickly regained his composure and strode to the front of the room, every set of eyes following him.

"Hi." His voice was quiet as he addressed the room filled with people he knew actively hated him. He glanced over at Kyra who gave him an encouraging smile. "So I know that none of you are my biggest fans and I understand. I was cruel to all of you at Hogwarts and I want you to know that I'm sorry." Ron scoffed across the room, seemingly shaking Draco's concentration. "I…um…I really am sorry. I was terrible to you and none of you deserved it. I don't expect any of you to like me. I don't even expect you to accept my apology but I do want you to know that I am truly sorry for everything that I've done to you in the past. I'm hoping that someday we can work past it and maybe even be friends." Kyra could see the pain the last sentence caused him. Draco may have been different but he certainly wasn't looking to be friends with Harry Potter. He was visibly uncomfortable and began to shift his weight between his legs, waiting for a response. The room fell into a stale, awkward silence.

Kyra stood beside Draco, ushering him to the seat she had just been sitting in, causing Cho to scoot further into the couch.

"So, I know it's not what any of you were expecting but I'm hoping you'll be willing to stay and help us. What do you say?"


	15. Chapter 14

Kyra sat, her legs curled under her, beside Neville on the cracked leather couch Ellie had dragged in earlier that day. Neville gazed at her, a mixture of admiration and irritation clearly written across his face. He had been among the seven that agreed to stay. As unlikely as it had been, she had been holding out hope that everyone would stay. She knew, realistically, that a few of them would be unwilling to stay; however, she had remained optimistic none-the-less.

"You should have told me in the letter that this was about Malfoy." Neville murmured, his eyes now glued to the floor. Pangs of guilt flooded Kyra as she saw how upset Neville was. He was such an incredible guy; she never wanted to hurt him.

"I'm sorry, Neville. I thought you wouldn't have come if I told you it was about him. I was desperate." Kyra spewed. Neville picked up his head, his warm, chocolate eyes connecting with hers, a tenderness shining through.

"I would have been hesitant but I would have come. I trust you, Kyra. You have good judgment. That's why I don't understand why you would think I wouldn't come." Now it was Kyra's turn to drop her eyes to the floor. She bit her lip, avoiding his gaze. "I think it's really wonderful that you gave him a chance though. Not many people would let him into their lives and it just shows how kind you are. That's what I love about you." Neville's face immediately reddened, though he kept his eyes on her. Kyra glanced up, a small smile gracing her face. Neville made her feel more comfortable than she had felt in months. He filled her with a warmth that she desperately needed and craved. "I've really missed you, Kyra."

"I missed you too, Neville. I'm sorry I disappeared. I needed some time to process what had happened with Chelsea." Kyra knew that Chelsea would have been beyond angry with her for letting Neville out of her life. Chelsea had been rooting for Kyra and Neville since their first year. In the month before the battle, Chelsea had rarely spoken of anything else.

"How are you doing? This must have been so hard on you. I can't even imagine how terrible it must have been." Kyra paused, inhaling sharply. She wasn't sure how she was. This year had been a whirlwind and it had only just begun.

"I'm doing better." She answered truthfully. "I miss her more than anything. I'm taking it one day at a time, though. Having Draco around has certainly made it harder at times but it has also helped to have someone who knew what it's like to go through things like that." Neville paused, eyeing her cautiously. He took his time in responding, clearly toying with whether or not he wanted to say something.

"You could have talked to me. You know I would have been there in a second if you wrote me." Kyra nervously picked at the skin around her nail. She had been in such a horrible place after Chelsea's death. All she had wanted in that moment was to get as far from that life as she could. Her brain scrambled to find the words to respond to him but she came up short so she merely nodded. "Well I'm here now. I know things aren't going to be exactly the same but I was hoping that maybe I could take you to dinner?" Neville spoke slowly, nervously dragging out each word. For a fraction of a moment, Kyra could have sworn she thought of Draco but any hint of that thought was immediately pushed from her mind.

"I'd love to." She cooed, offering a gentle smile. Neville blushed and a small lopsided grin formed on his face.

A loud thud on the opposite side of the room broke Kyra's concentration, pulling her attention to it. She immediately rose to her feet as she realized that Draco had been responsible for the thud as he had been shoved down to the floor by Ron. Ron was livid and Draco had the same terrifying face he had made when he threatened Kyra on their first day at school.

"I don't believe this act for a second, Malfoy. You're the same twat you've always been and I'll bet this is all some double agent plot to get to Harry. You don't care about these people. You're a Malfoy—you only care about yourself!" Ron bellowed, lunging forward. Hermione pulled his arm back, stopping Ron in his place. Draco scrambled to his feet, hastily brushing himself off.

"Honestly, I don't give a damn if you believe me, Weasley. This isn't about you! I sold out deatheaters to avoid ending up like my father and now people I care about are paying the price. If you don't believe me, shove off, we don't need you." Draco spat, his lips curled into a sneer.

"Well maybe you should've done all of us a favor and just taken your father's route as well!" Ron's words hung in the air and time seemed to slow down for a minute after Draco absorbed Ron's vicious comment. His face hardened and his icy eyes darkened.

"Piss off, Weasel." Draco stormed from the room, slamming the door behind him with such force that the members of the Holyhead Harpies in the poster on the wall toppled over onto each other. Kyra shot Ron a furious look.

"Ron, if you don't trust Draco, maybe you shouldn't be here. This may be about everyone but he is at the center and if I can't trust you to have his back, maybe its best that you go home." Ron glared at her. After Draco's apology, Harry had convinced Ron to stay but Ron had only agreed begrudgingly.

"I didn't want to be here in the first place. If you had told us the real reason for coming, I gladly would have stayed home. I'm sure most of us would have stayed home. Don't put this on me!" Kyra huffed, rolling her eyes and deciding it was best to deal with Ron later. She turned, quickly heading toward the door.

As she stepped into the hallway, all she saw was the cracked paint on the walls. There was no sign of Draco anyway, not even the faintest sound of footsteps. Kyra groaned, running her fingers through her crimson hair. She panned her eyes to the grout-filled white tiles of the floor, scanning her brain for ideas. After only a moment, her eyes lit up and she bounded down the hall, rounding the corners in a slide. Just as she suspected, the enormous wooden door was just swinging closed as she reached it. Kyra forcefully pushed it open and strode through, catching a glimpse of Draco settling down at the edge of the lake, angrily tossing a rock into the water, dozens of ripples breaking on the surface.

Draco's eyes snapped up at the sound of the door, sighing as she spotted Kyra. She slowly wandered toward him, watching his reaction as she took a seat beside him, folding her legs beneath her. They sat in silence for a minute, not looking at each other. Kyra waited patiently for Draco to speak, knowing he would start soon.

"I knew it was a bad idea to invite them here. " He finally muttered, tossing another rock into the water. "They could never trust me. The reason you all joined Dumbledore's Army was because of people like me. We're not meant to fight on the same side, Kyra. You should have them go home. This is pointless." Draco kept his eyes trained on the lake, watching the ripples fade. Kyra watched him, studying his expression.

"It's going to take some time, Draco. You can't expect them to love you after an hour. You have years and years of bad blood to smooth over. One apology isn't going to solve that. You need to just be patient and try to let it roll off your back, no matter how completely out-of-line the comments are." Draco's eyebrows furrowed slightly. "What Ron said was completely unacceptable. Believe me, I'm going to be discussing it with him later but I want to make sure you know that what he said is not, in any way, true. You did the right thing. You are not your father and you certainly don't deserve to be treated as such." Draco abruptly flopped onto his back, tucking his hands under his head, keeping his gaze up at the sky.

"I don't understand you, Hardings." He mused, "You, probably more than most people here, have every right to hate my entire family on principle. It doesn't make sense for you to want to protect me. You should want to see me set to fry right beside my father." His voice was light, casual, as if he was simply discussing the weather. Kyra leaned back, propping herself up on her side.

"Listen, I won't pretend that I don't hate your father. And honestly, I really wanted to hate you too. But as much as you and everyone else want to believe it, you aren't a horrible person. You needed a chance to start over—to learn who you are when your parents aren't telling you who to be." Draco turned his head, his eyes connecting with hers.

"And who am I?" He questioned, not releasing her gaze. Kyra felt her breathing falter, her eyes locked with his hypnotic stare. She swallowed hard, the ability to form words suddenly lost to her. The feeling of a single drop of rain allowed her to break his stare. Several more drops fell in quick succession but Draco kept his eyes on her. Kyra forced herself to sit up.

"Like I said, you need to figure that out for yourself." She insisted, carefully keeping her gaze to the ground. Large drops of water were sliding down her cheeks as the rain kept its slow, steady rate.

"Well who do _you_ think I am?" Kyra shrugged, desperate not to make eye contact. She refused to look away from the ground, ignoring the insistent look on Draco's face. She jumped as she felt a strong hand on her jaw, gently picking her head up. Kyra reluctantly turned her gaze to Draco, who had apparently sat upright, his hand gently falling from her face. "Kyra, who do you think I am?" His voice was more serious this time, slightly undermined by the effect of the rain on his hair.

"You're Draco Malfoy. You're kind and protective and scared. You're incredibly charming but pretend to be cocky to hide the fact that you're very, very broken." Kyra spoke more confidently than she felt. She could feel herself melting under his intense stare. His emotions were unreadable and his hand was lingering in the air, having not fully fallen after he lifted her head. The rain was getting heavier now; Kyra could feel her hair soaking through.

A bright flash of lightning lit up the sky, momentarily drawing Kyra's eyes up but she quickly refocused on Draco. He was still sporting an indiscernible emotion on his face. Kyra was vaguely worried she had overstepped her boundaries but held strong, keeping her eyes on him.

"You think I'm broken?" A clap of thunder sounded around them, the rain pouring heavily on them. She stayed quiet for a moment, contemplating the right way to answer. Finally, she gave a firm nod, not willing herself to speak. "So do you think I can be fixed?" Kyra stared blankly at him. He was gazing at her expectantly, looking more vulnerable than she had ever seen him.

"I have no doubt in my mind." A genuine smile rose to Draco's face at her words. Kyra wiped the rain from her eyes, moisture dripping from her hands. Another flash of lightning filled the sky with the thunder booming right behind it. Kyra jumped slightly. She watched with intrigue as Draco leaned toward her, protectively. He quickly sat back up, adjusting his position.

"And are you going to be the one to fix me?" His voice was more serious than Kyra had expected. His eyes were drilling holes in her as she avoided his gaze by looking up to the sky, squinting into the rain. "Kyra?" He insisted, not taking his eyes off her. She begrudgingly glanced down at him. Her heart jumped into her throat as she met his eyes. He was soaked through, his white-blonde mop of hair plastered to his head, droplets of water sliding over his face, dripping off his chin. His slate blue eyes were intense as ever—a storm raging within them. She suddenly didn't know what was right but she knew that she wanted to be the one to fix him.

Her body was numb. She couldn't feel her hands; an eruption of emotion filled her in a way she couldn't control. Her brain was failing to operate logically and Draco was still gazing at her intently. Kyra inhaled deeply, not letting the breath out. Abandoning her final shred of logical thought, she leaned forward quickly, her hand roughly grasping the back of his head, pulling him close to her, crashing her lips onto his.

Draco reacted immediately, as if he had been expecting this moment. He pulled her against him quickly, roughly wrapping his arms around her. Kyra felt a fire beneath his lips as he hungrily returned the kiss. His hands gripped her hair, gently tugging at it by the root. Draco bit at her bottom lip, snapping her into reality. She pulled away from him, gingerly pressing her fingers to her lips.

"I'll take that as a yes." He quipped with a chuckle. Kyra only stared back at him, wrapping her mind around what she had done. "I had really wanted to be the one to kiss you first but I won't complain. Just know next time it's my turn." Draco was sporting an enormous smile that he couldn't seem to control. His grin faded as he realized that Kyra wasn't smiling. "What's wrong?"

"We should probably get back up to the dorm." Kyra couldn't bring herself to talk about it yet. She hadn't meant for this to happen. Neville was here now and he asked her on a date. He was everything she needed in her life. He was so much less complicated than Draco. She hadn't wanted this with Draco. She wasn't even sure why she had kissed him. Her lips were still electric and she couldn't deny the kiss had been incredible; however, things with Draco were too convoluted. It wasn't possible for them to successfully be together, even if he seemed to want exactly that.

Draco swallowed hard, glancing up at the darkened sky, raindrops rapidly falling on his face. His expression was about as glum and confused as Kyra felt, though she wasn't showing it. He scrambled to his feet, offering a hand to Kyra, which she ignored as she stood on her own. Draco frowned, his head slightly hung as he began to trudge back to the dorm, dejected. Kyra guiltily followed behind, not daring to make conversation. She hated to see him this way but she was afraid any sign of comfort would only lead to further confusion and mixed signals. She needed time to consider what this had meant. She needed time to consider if Draco was something she wanted.


	16. Chapter 15

Kyra collapsed in her bed, forcefully rubbing her temples. She had just finished drying her clothes and lay back on her bed for a moment, hoping to get a chance to digest what had happened when there was a knock at the bedroom door. Kyra lazily waved her wand, allowing the door to swing open. Hayden stood in the frame, smiling sympathetically. She stepped inside, shutting the door behind her and taking a seat on her own bed.

"How are you doing?" Hayden questioned, concern etched into her tone. "I noticed Draco didn't come back with you. What happened?" Kyra sighed dramatically, unsure what to tell Hayden. They were friends but she hadn't been open about boys with anyone since Chelsea. An enormous pang of sadness hit her in the gut like a ton of bricks. A surge of emotion poured over her suddenly and she couldn't control herself. Without warning, tears were streaming down her face in a way that she hadn't experienced since the funeral. Hayden jumped up, quickly crossing the room to sit beside Kyra, wrapping her arm around her shoulders. "What's wrong, Kyra? What happened?" Hayden mused, rubbing circles in Kyra's back. Kyra let out a sob, attempting to regulate her breathing but failing.

"I'm sorry. I'm just so confused. I don't know what I'm doing and it's all getting to be too much." Kyra continued between loud sobs. Hayden patiently watched her, waiting for her to continue. "I kissed Draco." Hayden's face lit up, a wide grin stretching across it.

"That's great! I've been dying to see you two finally get together!" She exclaimed gleefully.

"I don't know. He is so complicated. I don't even know why I did it really. It will only complicate things further. Today was supposed to be a new beginning for Neville and I." Hayden glanced at her curiously, "We were practically together just before the war. it had been a relationship in the making for seven years." She continued.

"So what happened? Why didn't it work out?" Kyra sighed, realizing she had not explained what happened to Chelsea yet. She took a deep breath in and out, readying herself for talking about Chelsea.

"My best friend died in the battle. She was my everything, you know? We had been friends since before Hogwarts and she knew everything about me. She was my rock and I didn't know how to live without her. After she died, I pushed everyone away—including Neville. But now he's here and I'm healing and we could finally make it work. He asked me on a date and things were about to get back to where they always should have been. But now I'm confused. I don't know how to feel about Draco. We couldn't possibly work. Neville makes me feel safe and comfortable and he's everything a girl could want. Draco is infuriating and cocky and dark. He scares me sometimes but I can't stop thinking about him. And that kiss. I've never felt a kiss like that before. I can't be with him though." Kyra was rambling. She could hardly follow her own train of thought.

"Why not? Kyra, you obviously want to be with Draco. He isn't perfect but you care about him and whether you wanted to or not, you've fallen for him. Don't give up on this before it starts." Hayden encouraged.

"Because he's Draco Malfoy. Do you know why his father is being put to death?" Hayden shook her head, "For murder. Lucius Malfoy is a murderer. He murdered my best friend. He is the reason my best friend isn't here to listen to me whine about Draco. He is the reason I abandoned my entire life. He is a murderer and a proud death eater. He is a bad person and, honestly, how am I supposed to believe that none of that negativity or cruelty rubbed off on Draco? Things are complicated with him. Draco and I could never work out. I need to be focused on relationships that could work—that could make me happy." Hayden stared agape at Kyra. Kyra could feel herself shrinking under Hayden's sympathetic gaze.

"Look, nothing could ever happen with Draco if you keep telling yourself that. Maybe you should just focus on Neville for a while. With that mindset, you and Draco would be doomed anyway so it's probably best to give it a break. You don't want to ruin things if there is any potential." Kyra nodded. Hayden was right—she would never be able to make it work with Draco if she kept thinking like this. Neville was good for her. She needed him in her life and she knew they could make it work.

Kyra wiped her tears from her face. "Thank you, Hayden. I haven't had anyone to open up to since Chelsea. I didn't realize how badly I needed someone until now." Hayden wrapped her up in a hug. "I should probably get out there and be a gracious host." Hayden offered a weak smile and stood up alongside Kyra as they both exited the room.

Stepping outside, Kyra spotted Hermione and Ron across the room. They were speaking in hushed tones and he was harshly pushing her hands off him. Hermione glanced up, meeting Kyra's eyes and shrugged with a frown. Ron angrily stormed away, bursting out f the dorm, and slamming the door behind him. Kyra wandered over to Hermione, her eyebrows drawn together.

"Ron seems to have taken your suggestion quite seriously. He's packed his things and is heading home. I begged him to stay but he refused. I'm sorry, Kyra." She spoke calmly but her face betrayed a slight nervousness. Kyra gave a meek smile and shook her head.

"Don't be sorry. It's alright, Hermione. I was serious when I told him he should leave if he couldn't accept Draco. I wish he would stay but not if it's going to cause fights every day." Hermione nodded.

"So you're certain that we can trust him?" She asked cautiously. "He doesn't exactly have the most honorable background." Kyra sighed, nodding.

"I'm positive. I know it's not easy to believe but I think he's changed. I trust him." Kyra couldn't help but feel guilty as she preached about how much she trusted him when only minutes before she had been listing off reasons why she shouldn't trust him. Hermione nodded and began to wander in Harry's direction, noticing him being accosted by Ellie.

Sighing in exasperation, Kyra plopped onto the couch beside George, leaning against his shoulder. George pat her head softly before wrapping his arm around her. She allowed her eyes to flutter shut for a moment as she took deep breaths in and out, curling her legs up at her side.

"So how have you been, kiddo?" He mused. Kyra's eyes gently opened, though she kept her gaze out in front of her. "I assume you've been feeling about as badly as I have." It was the most solemn she had ever heard him. It was a change she hadn't ever wanted to see in him.

"Just about. But I can't even imagine how you must be feeling. I'm so sorry, George." Kyra mewed, her head lying against his chest. She could feel his chest rising and falling steadily.

"I'm just glad to be away from home. I couldn't be around the house anymore. And I really couldn't be around the shop anymore. I mean I obviously can't ever get away from things that remind me of him. I look in the mirror and I'm reminded of him but at least here I'm not completely surrounded by it." Kyra frowned—she couldn't even imagine how difficult it had to be for him. She had come here to get away from everything that reminded her of Chelsea. George could never truly get away. "So you and Malfoy, huh?" Kyra eyes widened.

"What?" She stammered, attempting to keep her voice level.

"You're friends with Draco Malfoy. I never, in a million years, thought I would see that. You were practically the poster child for Hufflepuff and he was a Slytherin through and through. The two don't typically mix. Are you two really that close?" Kyra let out a breath, relaxing back into George's chest.

"Oh, well, it certainly wasn't anything I expected. I did everything I could to avoid him at first but it was difficult seeing as he was here every day. He really opened up to me one day, though, and it really helped move past the whole 'he's Draco Malfoy' thing. I definitely wasn't completely sold on him yet but he proved to me that he was willing to protect me and as it turned out, he was really helpful at dealing with losing Chelsea. I know that sounds hard to believe but he's a decent friend if you let him be." George raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing at his lips.

"Sounds to me like somebody's got herself a little crush." He teased. Kyra vehemently shook her head. "Oh come on, Ky. You know you can't lie to ole' Georgey. You've got the hots for Malfoy." Kyra was certain her cheeks were nearly as red as her hair. "You're gonna break little Longbottom's heart." He teased more, lightly jabbing a finger into her side.

"Nothing is going to happen with Draco and I, George. Believe me; even if I did have feelings for him," George grinned, "Which I don't, we would never work out. Like you said, we're way too different and it is way too complicated. I don't understand why everyone insists we should be together." His expression had not changed, still thoroughly amused.

"No need to be so defensive, Kyra. I won't tell anyone about your crush." She glared at him, though he merely laughed it off. "But for the record, there's a reason they say opposites attract."

"Oh shut it, George." She replied with a faint smile. George dropped it, though his grin remained plastered to his face.

The smile certainly did not fade as Draco opened the door, spotted Kyra on the couch with George, and immediately lost the smile on his face, a tomato red rising to his cheeks. He stopped in his spot, not able to control his staring. He quickly regained his composure and grumpily stomped away.

"Now you've gone and made your boyfriend jealous, Kyra!" George exclaimed, gleefully. Kyra grumbled words under her breath that he couldn't hear and he was quite sure he didn't want to hear them. "Well I'm going to go down to the cafeteria. Maybe I can find some cute, American girl to swoon over me." Kyra rolled her eyes, sitting up, letting George get up to leave.

Looking around the room, Kyra noticed that Draco had made his way over to Harry, Ellie, and Hermione. She attempted to hone in on what they were saying but with no luck, she decided to join them. Trying her best to appear casual, she strode over to them. Draco's head snapped in her direction, a scowl adorning his face.

"Are you done grossing everyone out with your PDA now?" He snickered, faux-amused. Kyra's eyebrows knit together in confusion.

"Jealous, Malfoy?" She retorted sarcastically. Draco snarled, turning his attention back to Harry, who appeared agitated by our words.

"So I was just telling Malfoy that we should probably start training tomorrow after dinner. Have you found anywhere for us to train?" Kyra sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck, shaking her head. Harry sighed but nodded. "Alright well while you are in classes tomorrow, me and a few of the others will take a look around the school and see if we can find anything." Kyra nodded with a smile.

"Thank you so much, Harry. It means a lot having you be here. I know this isn't easy but I'm so grateful." Kyra gushed.

"Dumbledore's Army is forever, Kyra. We're here for you." He replied simply. "But I need some dinner. Could you show everyone down there?"

"I'll show you to the cafeteria!" Ellie exclaimed, seemingly startling Harry, though he followed her, bringing everyone's attention to him. Everyone followed Ellie's lead out of the room. Hermione turned back around, noticing Kyra not moving.

"You coming, Kyra?" She asked politely.

"I'll be down in a bit." Kyra assured her, allowing Hermione to bound out the door after everyone else. The door shut, silence filling the once boisterous dorm.

Kyra turned back, noticing Draco was still standing beside her, watching her intently. He wore a puzzled expression that was not quite angry but certainly on the border.

"What are you playing at, Hardings?" Kyra winced, having hoped to avoid this conversation. "How do you go and kiss me like that and then take off and cuddle up with Weasley?" He demanded, not breaking eye contact. She visibly shrank under his gaze.

"Look, Draco, I don't know where that kiss came from but I don't think it should happen again. We are too confusing and I think its best we stay friendly." She spoke confidently, though she was melting as she looked into his eyes. She only hoped her appearance didn't give away how she was really feeling. Draco narrowed his eyes, studying her face momentarily. A smirk broke onto his lips, making her incredibly nervous.

"Oh you like me bad, huh?" He drawled.

"What?!" She exclaimed, her eyes widening.

"You like me so much. You're just scared. Well don't worry, Hardings, I'm not going anywhere. I can wait. You take your time and figure it out but, I promise, you won't be able to stay away for much longer. I'll be here waiting when you're ready." Kyra couldn't find words, unable to respond to him. She couldn't understand where he had gotten the nerve to assume she liked him so much.

She stood still, watching him, hoping words would come to her. Before she could manage to speak, Draco's arms were around her, his lips connecting with her. He kissed her hard and she melted into him without realizing what she was doing. He pulled away abruptly, taking several steps back, leaving Kyra with her mouth agape.

"I told you the next time was my turn." He quipped, smirking at her longing expression. "I'll be around, Hardings." With that he strode from the room, leaving Kyra alone in the dorm with her terribly muddled thoughts.


	17. Chapter 16

Neville was fiddling with the hem of his sweater, not daring to look up at Kyra. They were wandering toward the nearby town that Kyra and her friends had visited a few weeks back. She had been hoping to dissuade this; however, due to lack of other locations, this was their only option. It had been a quiet, awkward walk down due to the fact that Neville didn't seem to be able to talk.

"So how are things back home? How is everyone back home dealing with everything?" Kyra questioned, hoping to spark a conversation.

"Oh, um, I mean things are decent. People are less scared but everyone is really messed up now. There really isn't anyone left that hasn't lost someone they care about, ya know? It's sad—no one seems to know how to carry on. It feels as if things will never be the same." Kyra was quiet, soaking in his words. She knew exactly what he meant—she was feeling the same way. The war had taken an innocence from them that they could never get back.

"I mean, how could they? We have all seen things we didn't want to see. People have lost their loved ones and seen numerous deaths. How could anyone be okay after that?"Neville gave her a sympathetic look, finally allowing himself to look at her for the first time since they had walked out the front door. He gingerly reached for her hand, entwining their fingers so slowly she almost thought it was an accident. Neville's palms were clammy and warm, his cheeks flushed and his gaze returned to the ground but he squeezed her hand lightly. Kyra smiled to herself, impressed by his courage.

They continued, silence falling on them again. The awkwardness had faded and Kyra was beginning to feel the same comfort she had been longing for, though this was short-lived. The familiar entrance to the small town was in their view and an uneasy feeling was creeping into the pit of her stomach. Neville stopped in the large archway that acted as the entrance and turned to her.

"What did you want to do? Are there any restaurants down here?" Kyra shrugged her shoulders. "Well let's keep walking and see if we find anything." Kyra quipped in with a quick 'okay' and they continued in.

Dusk was setting in, the sky painted with streaks of pink. Kyra scanned the buildings, attempting to locate a restaurant. Neville used his free hand to point to a tavern across the way. Kyra heart dropped to her stomach as her eyes fell on the campy bar, memories of that night flooding her brain. The feeling of the boy's hands on her body was debilitating. Her breathing was slowly becoming ragged though she tried desperately to force deep breaths from her mouth. She could feel a numbness beginning to surge through her body; minute pinpricks assault her skin where Neville's hand entwined with hers. Kyra could hardly hear Neville's voice beyond the blood pounding in her ears. His hand squeezed hers, stabilizing her slightly. Her eyes shot up to him, wide and panicked.

"Kyra, are you okay? What's wrong?" Concern laced his voice, his chapped lips in a deep frown. "Kyra?" He repeated more insistently.

He led her to a grassy hill, sitting her down slowly. The browning grass crunched under her, needle-like against her skin. Kyra leaned against her knees, placing her head between her legs. She took a deep breath in, counting to eight before she released it. Kyra was vaguely aware of Neville's hand on her back moving in circles. His fingers were barely grazing her, as if he was afraid she would melt at his touch.

"I'm sorry." She spoke calmly after taking several minutes to regulate her breathing. Neville was staring, fear filling his eyes. She had never wanted to scare him—this was supposed to be a wonderful new beginning for them and she was quite certain she was ruining it. He was certainly going to be running for the hills after this.

"What happened, Kyra?" His voice was soft—delicate. Kyra let out a long sigh, running her fingers through her hair. This was precisely how she wants things to start—by unloading all her baggage onto him.

"A few weeks ago we were down here and went to that bar. It didn't end very well." Neville kept his eyes glued to her, waiting for her to continue. "A boy that was there…he…well he tried to…he tried to…" She couldn't finish her sentence. The word refused to escape her mouth. It was a word she hadn't been prepared to use yet. It seemed as though admitting aloud what could have happened would make it real and Kyra was not sure she was ready for that. "He tried to rape me." Her voice was quiet, nearly inaudible. The hot sting of tears swept her eyes, threatening to fall. Kyra attempted not to blink, knowing they would fall if she allowed her eyes to close. The tame winds blew at her, forcing her eyes shut, a slew of tears making their way down her face.

"I'm so sorry. I had no idea. I never would have made you come down here if I had known. Kyra, I'm so sorry." He rambled, desperation and pity oozing from his voice. Kyra shook her head, more tears sliding down her face.

"No, it's not your fault. Please don't be sorry. I should have known better. I'm sorry for freaking you out." She focused her eyes on the ground, tears splashing into the dehydrated grass. She could feel his eyes on her.

"Kyra, I just want you to be happy. I want to make you happy and I want to make you feel better when bad things are happening. Please don't be sorry for being upset. I want you to be able to show me how you're feeling—no matter what. I'm here for you, Ky." Kyra glanced up, her eyes connecting with his. "I have an idea. Could you wait here for five minutes?" She nodded and Neville shot up, sprinting back in the direction of the school.

Kyra sighed, looking up at the sky. A broad smile rose to her face, her chest warming. She had so many memories from her seventh year of nights with Neville. He was always very romantic; she had no doubt in her mind that today would be no different. She briefly wondered if Draco was this romantic but promptly shut the thought down. Just because kissing Draco filled her with an electricity she had never felt didn't mean they were right for each other. In all honesty, it probably just meant he had kissed plenty of girls in his time. Neville's kisses may not have been electric but he was reliable and made her feel the oh-so cliché warm, fuzzy feeling in her chest.

The sky had faded to a deep purple and Kyra could see fireflies flittering around a few feet from her. The faint buzz of cicadas filled the air and a greasy odor was wafting toward her, presumably from the pub down the road. She was glancing around, taking in her surroundings. The leaves were a deep red that were muted by the setting sun. The beauty of the changing leaves was something foreign to her after all her years at Hogwarts.

Kyra heard the crunch of feet on the fallen leaves behind her and she lazily glanced backwards, spotting Neville heading toward her. His enormous goofy grin was directed at her and she couldn't help but smile back. His smile was contagious and made her feel at home.

"Come on, Ky!" He exclaimed, offering her a hand. She gladly grabbed it and followed as he darted through the woods along a narrow path.

"Neville, where are we going?!" She squealed, bounding along the path behind him. His long legs were taking him much faster than hers and she was struggling to keep up with him but his enthusiasm was too cute and she needed to see what had him so excited.

Neville didn't answer but stopped abruptly as they came to a large circular clearing. Heat flushed to Kyra's face as she saw what he had done. There was a large blanket on the ground with a woven basket in the center. There were several tall candles suspended in the air above the blanket and rose petals littered around the ground.

Kyra glanced over and Neville was beaming down at her.

"Do you like it?" He asked excitedly.

Now it was Kyra's turn not to answer. She wrapped her arms around him, kissing him deeply. Neville jumped slightly but soon relaxed, kissing her back. His arms lightly wrapped around her and he kissed her gingerly. Everything about Neville was gentle. His kisses were gentle; his touch was gentle; his words were gentle; Neville was gentle.

They sat down, Neville's hand placed over hers as he emptied the picnic basket. The basket was filled with foods that reminded her of Hogwarts. A nostalgic smile crept onto her face as she thought of Neville sneaking her into the astronomy tower for a late night snack.

He handed her a small tub of pudding and spoon which she gladly accepted. She slid a spoonful of pudding into her mouth, holding the spoon in, savoring it. A rustling in the woods around them caused her jump slightly; Neville's hand tightened around hers.

Kyra reached down, slowly drawing her wand up. The branches of the trees began to part and a figure was emerging from the woods. As Kyra focused on the figure she stood immediately, pointing her wand. She was unsure if she would need to fight but she was ready.

A mop of white-blonde hair entered the clearing. Draco was lazily wandering toward them, twirling his wand in his fingers. He knit his eyebrows together, quizzically as he took in the scene. A smirk grew on his face and he sat back on his hip.

"Well, Longbottom, I knew you were pathetic, but a picnic? That's emasculate even for you." He was chuckling to himself. Neville scowled at him but didn't respond.

"Do you need something, Malfoy, or did you just come here to irritate us?" Kyra snapped.

"Potter is looking for you. Looks like your tea party will have to wait." He sneered, waiting for the pair to get up and walk back with them. Kyra sighed; even when he was acting like a twat, she was immensely attracted to him. She would never be able to move past her feelings for him if he was always around.

Kyra and Neville begrudgingly stood. Draco smirked and waved his wand, the picnic vanishing from its spot. Kyra could sense Neville tensing up as he tightened his jaw but he simply continued past Draco, through the clearing. Kyra followed after him but Draco grabbed her arm, holding her back.

"You know, Hardings, you're hurting my feelings. Sinking so low as to go on a date with Longbottom? That's pretty bad. Just remember that when you realize he doesn't make you feel the way I do, I'll be right here." He winked with a smirk and Kyra felt her breath catch in her throat. He raised an eyebrow and gestured for her to lead the way back to the school.

Kyra walked back to the school self consciously as she could feel Draco's eyes on her. She had the distinct feeling that Draco wasn't going to make this easy for her.


	18. Chapter 17

Harry was rushing through the halls, leading Kyra, Neville, Hayden, and Draco toward an unknown location. He claimed to have found somewhere for the group to practice but wouldn't tell them where or what it was. They followed closely behind as he weaved through the halls, dodging students who were scattered around the school. They shot up the marble staircases. One staircase, then two and three, then another three.

Kyra's chest was heaving and she was out of breath, a burning in the back of her throat. Harry stopped abruptly in front of a small wooden door. It was only half her height and made of a dark, red, polished cedar. Kyra doubled over, choppy breaths hardly escaping her mouth. She could see Draco smirking at her out of the corner of her eye. Standing up straight, she shut her mouth, forcing herself to breathe through her nose, hoping she would appear less strained for breath. She scowled at Draco, and he chuckled to himself. Harry paid no attention to Draco as he fumbled with his wand, waving it in a bizarre fashion. The door slid open with a creak so loud, Kyra thought, it must have been a decade since this door had been opened.

Kyra peered inside, though it was blanketed in darkness. Each of them raised their wands, muttering 'lumos', several streams of light striking through the blackness. They cautiously stepped through the doorway and were met with a swift rush of air as the door slammed behind them. The thin jets of light from their wands were doing little to illuminate the space. Hayden huffed.

"For Merlin's sake." She griped, her shadowy figure swinging her arm up, the light of her wand gliding across the space, exploding 200 feet from them. Kyra turned around, shielding her eyes with her forearm. Her body shook in anticipation of the inevitable pain the explosion would cause. Kyra noticed a bright, muted light seeping in along the edges of her arm. Cautiously unfurling her body, she glanced up to see that once-dark room had revealed itself to a long, steep, upward slanting hallway. The walls were adorned in Victorian paintings with intricate, gold frames. The paintings were muggle portraits, unmoving, of 19th century aristocrats.

"What is this place, Harry?" Kyra mused, gazing at the paintings in wonder. Harry was grinning smugly, watching Kyra, Hayden, and Draco react to his hidden hallway. It was a stark contrast to the sterile halls of the school. The floors were covered in a plush, burgundy carpet that was forming around Kyra's feet.

"This is just the way there. The potions professor seems to have an interest in me so when I asked if she knew any spacious, private areas, she was quite helpful." Draco snickered.

"You hooked up with a 60 year old woman to find this room, Potter?" He cackled, hardly containing himself after what he believed to be an ingenious and hilarious joke. Harry glared at him and shook his head.

"Can we go now or do you need a break to start your career as a comedian?" Harry spat. Draco smirked, raising an eyebrow and lifting his arms to encourage Harry to lead the way. Rolling his eyes, he shoved past Draco, bumping his shoulder in the process. He stormed across the floor, pausing in front of the small wooden door. Raising his wand, Harry swung the door open, a set of iron stairs spiraling straight up on the other side of the door. Kyra stepped with caution toward the stairs, leaning across the threshold and peering up to only see endless stairs. She eyed Harry with suspicion but he wasn't paying attention to her, he was merely beginning the trek up the stairs.

Hayden brushed by her, bounding up the steps, which creaked precariously under her. Kyra hesitated, still attempting to catch a glimpse of what she would be climbing toward. She jumped as she felt a hand graze her lower back, electricity surging across her skin. Draco was gazing at her, his eyes sharp and playful.

"You coming, doll?" Kyra narrowed her eyes. She wished he would stop saying things like that. He was infuriatingly consistent, he clearly was not going to back down any time soon. Smirking at her, he started up the stairs, his hand trailing across her skin before finding a tight grip around her hand. Draco pulled her up the stairs but climbed them slowly, savoring every second she didn't pull out of his grasp.

The stairs were narrow and climbed up nearly one hundred feet. Draco could feel the resistance against his hand as they reached fifty feet and stopped, turning around. Kyra halted abruptly, not expecting the stop. He raised an eyebrow.

"Tired, love?" Kyra flinched, his pet names difficult to ignore, "Come on, hop on." He turned back around, using both his hands to reach back and pat his shoulders. Kyra shut her eyes hard, attempting to form an excuse as to why she wouldn't do that but came up empty.

Sighing, she let a minuscule smile form in the corners of her mouth before wrapping her arms around his neck and hopping up, her legs wrapping around his waist. His hands fell to her thighs, helping hold her in place. Heat rose to her cheeks at his touch, a knot the size of a dragon egg forming in her stomach.

Draco bounded up the stairs effortlessly and Kyra grasped at his chest, balling his shirt up in her fists. He climbed the remaining fifty feet, keeping his hands firm around her thighs. He pushed open the door at the top; it was identical to the one at the bottom. They ducked through the door and into an enormous room. The walls were covered in a yellowing wallpaper that peeled along the edges. There were heavy golden curtains lining the windows that were coated in a thin layer of dust and the corners of the room had cobwebs stretching across them. The curtains blocked most of the light so the fixtures were muted in darkness. On the other side of the room, Kyra could just make out an intricately carved, marble fireplace. There were dusty couches placed around it with patterns she couldn't distinguish in the dark.

Kyra loosened her grip on Draco, attempting to slide down his back but he held on tight to her. She squirmed slightly but soon gave up and focused on Harry's shadowy figure. His silhouette was visible twenty feet from them and he was raising his wand, not bothering to look at them, though she was certain he would not have been able to make out what was happening. He murmured a word under his breath and thin beams of light shot from his wand into every corner of the room. They were instantly filled with light and Kyra's eyes flew shut. She reopened her eyes slowly, adjusting to the light and taking in the room. The couches she had seen were a horribly dated floral pattern with a massive tear through the center of one. The fireplace had been sculpted into enormous lion heads on either side. On one wall there was a picture frame that was empty with the exception of the mounted head of a stag that had fallen off one hook and was now hanging lopsided. A chandelier of antlers swung overhead the couches in a slow, threatening manner.

Draco turned to examine the wall closest to them and in turn, Kyra's attention was shifted. There was a full wall bookshelf with books of all colors. A globe sat, alone, in the corner on the battered wooden floors. The room, it seemed to Kyra, would have been quite lovely once but had clearly not been touched in years. This left a stale, depressing atmosphere to hang in the air, mourning the magnificence this room once held.

"This room is ours to use. It needs a little love but I think it is going to work pretty well. What do you think, Kyra?" Harry turned to her then, his eyes widening for a fraction of a second. He didn't ask questions and Kyra knew Draco was disappointed he didn't have a chance to respond with a smart comment.

"I think it's perfect! A little run down but nothing we can't fix! When do you want to show the others?" She asked, optimism oozing from her voice.

"Tomorrow," He spoke definitively, "It's getting late and I think we can wait until after classes tomorrow." Kyra could see Hayden uncomfortably pursing her lips beside Harry. She raised an eyebrow and Hayden sighed.

"Is there any way to get up here without climbing a thousand stairs?" Kyra smirked, she had been wondering the same thing. Harry chuckled and took large strides across the room, lightly patting the fireplace.

"You might not be able to use the floo network in and out of the castle but you can use it to get around inside." He beamed, quite proud of himself. Kyra could see now why he had led them here with such fervor. "Come on, let's use it to get back to the dorm." He picked up a miniature cauldron off the mantle and grabbed a handful of floo powder. Stepping inside, he turned to face the others and forcefully declared, "Dorm room 32." With a puff of smoke he vanished, leaving the fireplace empty for Hayden to follow his lead.

Hayden grabbed a handful of powder and turned to them before she stepped inside, "This is safe, right? I've never used the floo network before." Draco nodded and Hayden sighed, "Well it's now or never. Dorm room 32." And just like Harry, she was gone.

Kyra attempted to squirm down off Draco's shoulders once more and this time he allowed it, though he turned to face her. His magnetic, blue eyes locked with hers and she was frozen in her spot, gazing up at him.

"So did you quite enjoy your date with Longbottom?" He mused with a smirk.

"I was rather enjoying it, yes. That is, before someone interrupted." She narrowed her eyes, though she couldn't wipe the vague smile off her face.

"Oh, I'm sure you were. It looked like a lovely time- a whole lot of fun." He was smiling his crooked smile now and Kyra couldn't quite place what his plan was.

"It was a lot of fun. I love picnics. It was very sweet and very romantic." Draco nodded his head in understanding, the smile still plastered to his face; he was making Kyra quite nervous now.

"I'm glad you had a good time, princess." She glanced at the ground, attempting to piece together what game he was playing. "It's good that he is setting your expectations so low. It's going to make our dates seems like a dream. They will be, of course. I wouldn't think of doing any less for you, but it will seem even greater in comparison." Kyra rolled her eyes.

"Right, of course, our dates—the ones that aren't going to happen." She scoffed. Draco simply continued as if she hadn't responded.

"You know, I almost feel bad for Longbottom. He doesn't stand a chance, really. You should probably break the news to him sooner rather than later. Let him down easy, okay? He's a fragile kid that Longbottom." Kyra clenched her jaw in irritation.

"I don't need to let him down easy because I won't be letting him down at all. Neville is great and he makes me happy. I'm not ending things with him so you can come off it." Draco's eyes softened, a genuine smile on his face.

"Look, Kyra, I have no doubt that he makes you happy, and that's fine for now. I'm glad you are happy and if he makes that happen then so be it but he doesn't make you feel the way you do with me."

"Constantly agitated?" She fumed.

"No, you know the feeling I mean. His touch doesn't send shivers down your spine; he doesn't fill your skin with electricity. You don't spend your nights lying in bed, thinking about him—dreaming about him. You don't feel that way about him so it is only a matter of time before you realize that there is only one person who makes you feel like that." Kyra could feel her heart in her throat, she could hear it pounding in her ears. He was right, whether she could admit it or not.

"You don't know what I feel." She muttered, the words escaping in short breaths. Draco smirked and raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, darling, whatever you say." Kyra's hands were shaking heavily as she made her way toward the fireplace. She could feel his eyes on her so she quickened her pace. Hastily grabbing a handful of powder, she clamored into the fireplace.

"Room 32." She declared mightily, his face twisting away in a puff of smoke. She might not be able to run from him forever but she would certainly try.


	19. Chapter 18

"This place is crushing my soul." Eli declared as he slid his finger along the top of the mantle, a thick layer of dust collecting on the tip of his finger. Kyra rolled her eyes, moving her wand in a sweeping motion over the couch, remove the dust and dirt from it before sitting down. Neville took a seat next to her, brushing his hand against hers. She let a small smile rise to her face as she glanced down. As her eyes panned back up, she spotted Draco across the room, staring back at her with a wide grin on his face. She could feel Neville's fingers slowly entwining with her own and for a brief moment she recoiled at his touch, though she was certain he hadn't noticed.

"It just needs some dusting!" Piped a chipper girl with waist length blonde hair. Sophie was a girl George had met in the cafeteria a few days back and he had rarely let her leave his side. She was from America but she was as true a Gryffindor as they came as far as Kyra could tell. She was also clearly smitten with George. He hadn't admit his feelings yet but everyone could tell they were there. It was the first time Kyra had seen him so unsure of himself. He had never been this nervous around Chelsea, though Kyra wasn't surprised, they both knew they were only temporary. However, no one would have guessed why it was wouldn't last. Kyra's thoughts of Chelsea quickly turned dark and she forced herself back into the present, realizing Sophie had begun to use her wand to clear the cobwebs from the corner. George was helping her, following behind looking like a helpless puppy.

Kyra shifted on the couch, facing them, her legs folded underneath her. Her eyes followed Sophie across the room as she briefly wondered if she should be helping. A small sigh of relief escaped her lips and Maddie stood and helped instead. Kyra had always hated cleaning—even magic cleaning. Her room at home had always been a mess. While her parents had made sure to clean it up the second she left for school each year, she had would mess it up as soon as she got back. Her focus trailed down as she noticed Neville's hand gingerly settling on her thigh. A wave of heat rose to her face but she was distracted as the fireplace beside her erupted in a flash of green.

Harry stepped out of the fireplace, a small stack of papers clutched in his hands. He stumbled out the fireplace, nearly tripping on the lip but catching himself on the arm of the couch, the papers flying from his hands. Draco snickered several feet away but Harry ignored him.

"Alright everyone, Hermione and I were talking and we think there is something we need to discuss." He paused, allowing everyone to turn and face him, "Look, Dumbledore's Army was great and exactly what it needed to be but this is not the same thing. The Carrows were dark arts teachers and incredibly important death eaters. Alecto is highly skilled and we cannot hope to win a battle against her with basic knowledge. She will know the moves we want to use and will be several steps ahead. We don't stand a chance if we simply continue to perfect the moves we have always used." Neville furrowed his eyebrows, discouraged.

"Okay, Potter, we get it, we suck. Do you have a suggestion or are you just here to tell us to abandon hope?" Draco snapped. Harry clenched his jaw, slamming the papers onto the table in front of Draco. Draco spread them out, scanning over them quickly, his eyes widening. They flashed up to Harry, incredulously. "You can't be serious. There is no chance we could do this. None of us are this advanced!" Kyra glanced up, curious.

"Can't do what?" She piped in, rising to her feet in one swift motion, leaving Neville's hand to lie dejected on the seat of the couch. Her brow furrowed as she spotted the scribbles that were scattered over the parchment on the table.

"Potter seems to think we are advanced enough to create our own spells." Malfoy fumed, seemingly amused by the thought. Harry stared at Kyra, hoping to gauge her reaction. Kyra rubbed a hand on her neck, taking a large inhale of breath. She had never known anyone who had created their own spell but from what she had heard, it was a terribly complicated and dangerous process. The true process was also said to have been lost ages ago. Only truly gifted witches and wizards had created new spells in the past century.

The rest of the group was beginning to crowd the table, attempting to make sense of Harry's scribbles.

"I think we should try it. We need any advantage we can get." Kyra declared, decidedly. Maddie glanced up at her, fear shining in her eyes.

"Kyra, spell creation is dangerous. It's not just hard, it's unpredictable and more often than not, fatal." Silence fell around the room, anxiety clouding everyone's minds.

"Going into battle against Alecto without a clear advantage is even more dangerous. She is cruel and soulless and incredibly gifted. But even worse, now she is angry. If we have any chance to catch her off guard, we should take it." Neville's voice sounded from the other side of the room. He was still sitting on the couch, a coldness in his voice that Kyra had never heard before. His expression was hard and emotionless.

"Longbottom may have a point." Kyra's head swivel as she heard Draco's voice. The words sounded strange on his tongue. It was still so surreal to see them working together. "But what would it do?"

"Well, unfortunately, whatever we need to do needs to be vaguely safe. Our primary way of testing the spells would be on ourselves so it can't be anything too devastating. Spell creation is dangerous enough on its own, never mind if it includes something like slicing open someone's body several times." Draco stated while shooting a pointed glare at Harry, who flinched away from his gaze.

The room fell quiet for a few moments, everyone contemplating the choices. Kyra had never been exactly creative so her mind continuously jumped from variations of spells she already knew of. It certainly needed to be more of a defensive spell if it was going to be safe to test on each other.

"Should it be some sort of shielding spell?" Derek asked. More silence briefly fell upon the room.

"There are plenty of shielding spells already, we need something creative." Eli retorted, frustration lacing his voice.

The tension of the room was slightly dissipated by the crackling of the fire as Hermione popped into the room. Her hair was larger than Kyra had seen it in a long time, a pencil lazily stuck inside it.

"How is everything going, Harry? Did you tell them our idea?" She mused, wandering toward the table, answering her own question as she spotted the notes sprawled out along the horrible scratched tabletop.

"Yes, we were just attempting to figure out what the spell should do." He replied.

"Well hopefully I can be of assistance. I had an idea of what we could do." The group watched her, waiting for her idea. After a few moments she realized no one was speaking and continued. "Perhaps we could have it temporarily disable the opponent's senses. I think that so long as we are careful to make it temporary, it should be safe enough to use on each other." She stated smugly. It certainly wasn't a bad idea.

"That is actually pretty brilliant." Neville mused. Hermione grinned at his words. A muted rumble broke out among the group as they began to discuss the logistics of creating such a spell.

As the afternoon wore on, the group had split into two distinct groups. One group was huddled around the table, attempting to discover the correct way to produce their spells. The other was spread out across the room, practicing dueling. Kyra had been pleasantly surprised by how advanced Hayden and Eli were with their combative spells. Marcus and Madison needed some work but they were quickly picking up on small things. Harry was leading the group that was dueling and after a few hours appeared to grow fairly irritable.

"Why don't we take a break?" Kyra suggested after Harry snapped at Ellie for watching him instead of focusing on her spell.

"Great idea." Draco replied quickly with a sly smile stretched across his face. She rolled her eyes and began to stray away from the group as he caught her hand.

"Want to do lunch, doll?" He spoke with a smirk. Kyra snatched her hand away from him.

"I'm good." She spat, quickly walking away and joining Neville on the couch where he had just taken a seat. Her eyes remained glued to Draco as she laced her fingers with Neville and a rosy color flooded his cheeks.

She ended up eating in the cafeteria with Neville where he proceeded to tell her about the plant his grandmother had procured for him over the summer. Kyra's concentration waned though she fought to pay attention.

As a lull came in the conversation, Kyra took an opportunity to voice a thought that had been picking at the back of her brain throughout the afternoon.

"What if we practiced physical combat?" Neville gave her a perplexed look. "Like hitting- punching and kicking- you know? Everyone seemed to be so reliant on magic that we don't ever consider actually fighting." A set of footsteps sounded behind Kyra, forcing her to spin around the face them.

Ron was standing behind her. He had begrudgingly decided to stay, though he often didn't join the group for discussions and hardly ever spoke.

"That is actually a decent idea." He spoke gruffly. His voice low and hard. "You should bring that up to Harry. Do any of us actually know how to fight, though?" He stared hard at her, his intensity forcing her to drop her gaze.

"I have no idea. I hope so."

"Alright, everyone, in the position I showed you." Hayden commanded, standing in front of the group. Each of them awkwardly shuffle into a fighting stance across from the partner they had chosen. Ginny squared up across from Kyra and Kyra felt herself shrinking. Ginny was hardly someone Kyra felt she could win a fight against.

After suggesting the idea to Harry, he immediately took to it, insisting they all learn how to fight. As fate would have it, Hayden had briefly taken defense classes as a kid. It wasn't a huge amount of knowledge but it was certainly more than the rest of them.

"Now, as I showed you, take on your partner." Kyra reluctantly stepped forward, as did Ginny. With a weak arm, Kyra swung towards her, hardly impacting her as her fist hit Ginny's shoulder. Without much warning, Kyra felt the sharp impact of Ginny's fist against her jaw. She immediately sunk to the ground. Her head spun slightly as she gathered her bearings and accepted Ginny's hand to stand back up.

A few pairs down, she spotted Ron punching Harry in the gut, causing Harry to double over in pain. She briefly thought to herself that this training may do more harm than good.

After another minute or so, Hayden's voice boomed around the room. "Alright, line closest to me, move one person to the left." Kyra glanced up at her in shock. They hadn't discussed this. She groaned internally as she spotted Derek standing in front of her now. This was going to hurt.

"I don't want to do this, Hayden. I can't hit Kyra! It wouldn't be right!" Hayden's gaze shot to Derek instantly, her expression hardening. She slowly walked toward him.

"Derek, if deatheaters attack, do you think the men will look at Kyra and say 'Nah, she's a girl, I can't fight her'?" Derek's breathing noticeably quickened as she got closer. She tilted her head forward, urging him to answer.

"No." He choked out, hardly above a whisper.

"So why, then, would you deny her the opportunity to improve her fighting skills in case the very instance I just mentioned occurs?" She spoke calmly, her volume staying level. Derek froze, unable to meet her eyes. "Well?" Derek shook his head as if to indicate that he wouldn't answer her. "No? Well then if you have no reason as to why you would deny her this, then I suppose we don't have a problem." Derek kept his eyes glued to the ground. "Do we have a problem, Derek?" She raised her voice a bit, causing his head to fly up.

"No." He squeaked before turning back to face Kyra.

"Good. Does anyone have any problems with their new partners?" She demanded, heading back to the spot she had been standing in before. The room was silent for nearly thirty seconds. "Excellent. Now begin."

The group, went through the line, dueling each person they came against. Kyra managed to win her duel against Derek as he was seriously offput by Hayden's outburst. She also beat Ellie, though only slightly, and Neville, who had awkwardly avoided hitting her. She unfortunately lost to Eli, Ron, Hermione, and Seamus. As Ginny made her way back to Kyra, Hayden announced that they would be switching into groups of two so they could face the others who had been in the same row as them. She squared up against Harry now, highly regretting suggesting this training, her jaw burning from the punch Hermione had thrown.

She managed to beat Harry and Luna. Sophie, George, Marcus, and Madison all beat her easily, however. As they moved a final time, Kyra glanced up to see Draco standing in front of her, a large grin on his face. Kyra sighed, gritting her teeth. He leaned forward.

"Don't worry, princess, I'll go easy on you." He whispered in her ear. Kyra huffed, now more determined than ever to beat him. She had been waiting for weeks for an opportunity to punch Draco in the face and now was as good a time as she would ever get. Hayden yelled 'go' and the fight began as he lazily dodged her punches. Kyra swung hard and make impact with his stomach. He raised an eyebrow and began to work at fighting back slightly. Their fight traveled further from their spot and she could feel herself running out of space behind her.

As she backed up further to dodge another of his punches, she felt her back hit the wall. They had backed themselves into a far corner of the room. The rest of the group was deeply involved in their respective fights and Kyra was suddenly wishing she was back to facing Ginny.

Draco pressed his hands against the wall on either side of her, pinning her to the wall.

"Well I suppose this means I win." He declared in a whisper, likely hoping not to attract attention to them. Kyra gulped, looking anywhere but his face, knowing those piercing eyes were waiting for her.

"I suppose so." She admit, defeated.

"Oh, come now, don't pout. You really gave me a run for my money." He said genuinely. Kyra glanced up at him without thinking and regret it immediately as she found herself locked into his gaze. She couldn't find the words to respond to him. "Looks like you really can take care of yourself." His body was pressed flesh against her and she could feel her breathing quicken. "You'll notice that you didn't have nearly as good a run with Longbottom as you did with me. What does that say?" He noted, smugly, a smirk plastered to his face. Kyra found herself transfixed with it.

"Maybe but he didn't hurt me so what does that say?" She shot back, still unable to take her eyes off his mouth which had slowly faded into a frown. Her heart sank at the sight, though she wouldn't allow herself time to think about that.

"Kyra…" He trailed off, clearly debating how to respond, "I'm not going to hurt you. I promise you. I would do anything to protect you." Kyra wasn't used to hearing him be so sincere.

"Like you said, I can take care of myself." She finally tore her gaze away from him, fixing it on the ground.

"Please, Kyra." He began but was interrupted by Hayden calling anyone back to the center of the room. Draco hesitated for a moment before dropping his arms and retreating toward the group. Kyra took a moment to compose herself, leaning against the wall, shutting her eyes tight and breathing deeply. Walking back to the center of the room, she didn't notice Neville watching her reaction.


	20. Chapter 19

"That rug is heinous, I don't care if it belonged to Merlin himself, it is an atrocity and I am personally offended by it." Ellie said with a huff, not allowing Seamus past her. They had been squaring off over nearly everything lately, the rug being the newest of Ellie's long list of unacceptable décor. Seamus rolled his eyes, plopping it on the floor at her feet.

Kyra chuckled to herself, shaking her head as she ran the paint roller along the wall. The group had collectively decided that a fresh coat of paint could brighten the room and it certainly needed brightening.

"Kyra?" Spinning in her spot, Kyra spotted Neville walking into the room, heading toward her. "Can I talk to you for a second?" She smiled brightly and nodded, following him toward the staircase.

Shutting the door behind her, she turned to him.

"Whats up, Ne—" She didn't get a chance to finish her question as he pushed her against the door, crashing his lips into hers. After a moment she awkwardly wrapped an arm around him. As their lips moved out of sync, Kyra felt more and more uncomfortable. She couldn't help but feel relieved as he pulled back. He stared at her from a foot away, his mouth drawn in.

"That's what I thought." He voiced quietly. Kyra furrowed her eyebrows, unsure what he was getting at. The entire interaction had been very out of character for him. "You don't really want to be with me, do you?" She could hear the pain in his voice. Her heart ached as she contemplated her answer. Honestly, she wasn't sure what she wanted. Apparently her silence spoke for her. "Oh…" He trailed off.

"No, Neville, I….I don't know what I want. I'm just confused." She stammered, panic growing in her chest.

"You want Draco." He spoke definitively, shocking Kyra. "Well don't you? I've seen the way he makes you feel. I've seen how you are with him. You want to be with him, right?" Her head was spinning. She didn't want to be with Draco.

"No way. I don't like Draco like that. He is just a friend. Sort of." Neville gave her a look that told her he didn't believe her. "Neville, I couldn't like someone like that. Just look at his family. That is reason enough to stay far, far away." He shut his eyes for a second, sighing deeply.

"I can't believe I am about to say this but Kyra, Draco isn't his family. You know that. I know you do. I don't know what is keeping you from admitting your feelings to yourself but you like him." Kyra glanced at the ground.

"I don't. I like you." The words couldn't have possibly felt like more of a lie as they passed her lips.

"No you don't, Kyra. Stop using me as an excuse to run from your feelings. I like you a lot and I wish that you felt the same way but you don't. It's okay. Be with him. I just want you to be happy." She could see the hurt in his eyes as he spoke.

She didn't want to be with Draco…did she? Kyra let her head fall back against the door, inhaling deeply. Draco's silvery blue eyes flooded her thoughts as she closed her eyes. Quickly opening them, she attempted to push them from her mind. She didn't like him.

"Neville…I can't like Draco. Have you met him? He's insufferable." She repeated her thoughts aloud, hoping they would stick if she spoke them.

"I don't understand it but I know that the look in your eyes when you look at him isn't one of someone who only thinks of him as a friend. Stop hiding, Kyra. Chelsea never would have let you get away with hiding." Her breath caught in her throat. Memories flooded her mind.

 _Chelsea grinned wide, watching as Kyra collapsed onto her four-poster bed. Heat rose to her cheeks, knowing her friend was watching her, waiting for a response._

 _"Come on, Kyra. You like him. You've liked him for yeeeeeeears. Do something about it! Make a move! You don't have to be a Gryffindor to be brave once in a while." Kyra groaned. "Look, seventh year is half over, the war is getting scarier every day and if you don't act now you may never get a chance to." Chelsea had been pestering her to ask Neville out for nearly a week._

 _"Chelsea he probably doesn't even like him. Honestly, it isn't worth it!" She shouted, exasperated._

 _"Kyra you know that isn't true. He is head over heels for you and everyone within a ten mile radius can tell. Stop hiding from your destiny! You have feelings for him and I know you're scared but what's the point of life if you never take any chances?"_

A faint smile crept onto Kyra's face as she thought of her friend. She might be gone but Kyra hadn't felt this connected to her since the end. Neville was right, Chelsea never would have let her act this way.

"Admit it, Kyra. You like him. Do Chelsea proud." He said again.

Could she really like him? He was cocky and irritating and dark inside...dangerous. Sure, he made her heart beat faster and sure, no one else had ever gotten her that flustered and sure, his irritating smirk melted her heart. Sure, his attitude made her laugh and a bizarre happiness swept over her while she was around him and sure, she felt safer when he was around but that didn't mean she wanted to be with him. Or did it?

Kyra's eyes widened quickly, her heart suddenly racing. She liked him.

"I…I think you're right." She whispered, admitting it to herself more than anything else.

"I know I am. Go find him." He insisted, pain still etched into his face.

"I'm sorry." She spoke sincerely. "I never wanted to hurt you."

"I know you didn't. But go, it's okay." She nodded, smiling weakly. She quickly took off down the stairs. Last she had seen him, he was in her dorm.

Sprinting through the halls she darted between students, narrowly avoiding several collisions. Arriving at her door, she swung the door open in a swift movement. Spotting him across the room, he was standing near the door to her room, idly chatting with George and Sophie. There were a few people scattered throughout the room but Kyra couldn't bring herself to care.

She quickly moved across the room, pushing Draco against the wall roughly.

"Kyra what are you—" She cut him off, pressing her lips to his, wrapping her arms around him. He quickly responded to her, wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her closer and kissing her hard. She felt her head spin rapidly, his familiar peppermint scent filling her senses. Her mind consisted of solely this kiss. The hair on her arms stood on end and she wrapped a hand up into his white-blonde hair, pulling it lightly, the other hand gripping his shirt tightly, needing him closer than he could possibly get.

She could hear muffled whistles from beside her but was entirely unconcerned. Draco smiled into the kiss before sliding his tongue into her mouth, moving it in circles around hers. They pulled apart for a brief moment, catching their breath but she only pulled him back for more kisses. Electricity surged through her skin.

"I knew you'd come around, Hardings." He whispered in a smirk as they pulled apart, their foreheads leaned against each other.

"Oh shut up." She spoke with a giggle before kissing him again.


	21. Chapter 20

-Author's Note- Hey everybody! I know its been a very long time but I hope you can forgive me cuz this is a nice long chapter. However, this chapter is also NSFW so readers be warned.

"Alright kids, wrap it up. I appreciate a show as much as the next guy but this is feeling obscene!" George shouted, forcing Kyra to giggle and pull apart from Draco. She kept her arms around him, her forehead pressed to his. His eyes pierced her own and she couldn't bring herself to look away.

"Sorry, Weasley, we aren't making you uncomfortable, are we?" Draco asked with faux-concern.

"Actually, a bit, yes!" George countered.

"Well we wouldn't want that, now would we?" He challenged. George begin to speak but Kyra didn't hear it as Draco connected his lips with hers again, this time grabbing a fist-full of hair and pressing her hard against him. He slid a tongue into her mouth, deepening their kiss before turning them around and pushing her against the wall, picking her up and wrapping her legs around his waist. Kyra tangled her hands in his hair, smiling into the kiss.

Kyra heard George scoffing beside her and leading Sophie away.

"Come on everyone, let's give these crazy kids some alone time." Kyra pulled herself away long enough to see George herding the group out of the room.

As the door slid to a quiet close, Draco allowed Kyra to slide back to the ground. Stepping back, he fully took in the sight of her, a smirk sweeping across his face. Kyra stared hard at the ground, unable to look at him, though a small smile still lit up her face.

"Well I certainly appreciate that greeting." He said after several moments of silence. Kyra stifled a laugh, finally glancing up at him. "So am I take to take this to mean that you've come to your senses?" He continued, his smirk visible even in his eyes. Rolling her eyes, Kyra raised an eyebrow.

"More like I've finally decided to act on behalf of my delirium. I've clearly lost my mind but I figured its time I stop fighting it." A genuine smile rose to Draco's face and Kyra could feel her heart melting at the sight. It was entirely possible that this was a terrible decision but seeing Draco smile the way he was made everything worth it. The warmth in his expression was one she had never seen before. In that moment, she was acutely aware of the fact that she would do anything in her power to see that smile every day of her life.

Draco closed the space between them again, wrapping an arm around her waist and tangling his other hand up in her hair. "Well I'm glad to hear that." He spoke in a raspy whisper, hovering his lips less than an inch from her own. Kyra felt her breath catch in her throat, her heart racing faster than she knew possible. "As much as I enjoyed these last few weeks, I'm fairly certain that this is better than anything else." Kyra smiled for a moment but Draco's lips gently found their way to hers, molding into them. She felt her world spin as she wrapped her arms around his neck, barely recognizing the feeling of his hands on her waist. She had never felt so perfectly at peace.

Kyra had spent the next week with Draco practically glued to her side. The time passed impossibly quick and felt like an enormous whirlwind. Every second not spent in class was spent up in the tower, improving their battle skills and doing research on spell creation. Despite having spent the vast majority of her time with Draco, they had hardly found even a second to be alone.

Glancing out the window absentmindedly, Kyra hardly recognized the thick flurries that were rapidly accumulating outside. The sky was a mess of white as the snow swirled violently, the winds whipping against the window panes, plastering the snow to the glass.

A gentle tap on her shoulder brought Kyra back to the present as her head snapped in that direction. Draco was standing above her, grinning down at her, now rubbing slow, deliberate circles on her skin. He folded down next to her, wrapping his arms around her, pulling her close to his body.

"What do you say we get out of here for a bit, darling?" He whispered in a smooth, even tone. Kyra raised an eyebrow, suspicious. It had been snowing for hours and they were nearly certainly snowed in. Every shop in town was sure to be closed.

"How do you propose we do that, _darling_?" A sly smirk spread across his face and he stood in one swift motion, grabbing her hand, and pulling her after her. Kyra couldn't help but laugh as he excitedly dragged her behind him. She couldn't help but wonder if this was how he had been as a child on Christmas morning. The thought of a young Draco, running through the halls with an enormous, toothy smile, brought substantial happiness to her.

He stopped in his tracks at the familiar, wooden door that led out to the lake, which had frozen over the previous week. Cautiously pulling the door open, they were met with violent winds and plump, damp snowflakes. Kyra glanced around, wondering what he could possibly have planned. Her eyes followed Draco as he stepped out into the weather, taking several steps to the left. That's when she spotted it—a small teacup tied to a string that had been attached to the wall. Her mouth drew in tight, her brows furrowed.

"Come on, beautiful. On three," The realization hit her like a ton of bricks—it was a portkey! She rushed in quickly, not failing to note the smirk that Draco sported. "One…Two…Three." Kyra gripped the cup swiftly, not having enough time to even contemplate where the portkey could be taking them. The ground suddenly fell out from under her, the world spinning around her. She heard the distant sound of Draco's voice, though she couldn't make out what he said. Assuming he was telling it was time, she released the cup, expertly allowing herself to float down. Glancing over, she spotted Draco floating down with ease.

As she felt the ground beneath her feet she took a moment to look around. They were in a dark, small room with no windows. Though she could no longer see him, she felt Draco's hand clasp around hers. A small click sounded from a foot in front of her and bright light suddenly flooded the room as Draco opened the door. Kyra squinted, attempting to adjust her eyes and get a look at where they were. She allowed him to lead her further out of the room and the brightness faded, letting her take in the new room they were in. A massive dining room unveiled itself, marble floors and crystal chandeliers. The room was entirely empty, rounded along a wall of windows. Kyra rushed across the room to look out the windows, an entire city presenting itself before her.

"Where are we, Draco?" She asked, excitedly.

"Paris." He stated simply with a smile. Kyra's eyes widened, taking a closer look. There was a large stretch of green with a circular pool in the center. She had never been to Paris and had no idea whether or not this was how it would look. She thought for a moment before responding.

"Where's the Eiffel Tower?" She looked to him for a moment, hoping he could point it out to her. He stepped forward, wrapping his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close.

"You're standing in it." A small gasp escaped her lips before she looked down, out the windows. There were hundreds of feet of metal beneath her. The sky was beginning to fade to streaks of pink and orange and Kyra was overtaken by the beauty. She allowed her head to fall into the crook of Draco's neck. He kissed her head gingerly, squeezing her tighter. "Would you like to sit down for some dinner?"

Nodding, Kyra followed him over to a table set with a tall candle lit in the middle. Draco pulled out the chair for her, pushing her in once she sat down. He took a seat across from her, reaching forward to grab her hands. A bright smile graced Kyra's face as she felt his skin against hers. Giving in to him had been easier than she ever thought possible.

"I can't even begin to tell you how breathtaking your smile is. I'm so glad you're here." Kyra felt heat rush to her cheeks, her heartbeat pounding in her ears.

"So am I. How did you even manage this, Draco? This is incredible!" She exclaimed, pulling one hand away to motion to the room. Her heart sped up as she saw the small smirk appear on his face; he was intimidatingly attractive.

"Oh I just pulled a few strings, don't you worry about it." With that, a man in a black suit appeared by their table.

"May I take your order, ma'am?" Kyra stammered, looking at Draco desperately.

"Oh…I…uh…I haven't had a chance to look at the menu." She took a panicked look around the table, not seeing a menu in sight.

"Oh there are no menus, ma'am. We have been instructed to make anything you request." Kyra reeled, shooting Draco an incredulous glance. She requested a minute to think and the man nodded politely, shuffling from the room.

"You really didn't have to do all this, Draco. You could have taken me to Hog's Head and I would have been happy." He rolled his eyes, shaking his head.

"I promised you I would take you on real dates, Kyra. You deserve the best and I'll be damned if I don't do everything in my power to give it to you." Emotion welled in her gut as she locked eyes with him. In one swift motion, she pulled him close to her, pressing her lips to his. The room spun around her for a moment before she pulled away. "Plus, I really like making you do that." He added with a sly smile. She smirked to herself, her eyes falling to the table.

Sitting back, she contemplated what she should order, asking politely for it when the waiter came back to them. She sat in silence with Draco while they ate, occasionally glancing up at him, catching him staring every time.

"You know, you'll never finish your dinner if you don't stop staring." She stated with a small smirk. Draco grinned, his icy blue eyes connecting with hers.

"Well if you would stop distracting me by being so goddamn beautiful, I'd be able to eat." Kyra felt heat rush to her cheeks. She felt her stomach flip several times and averted her eyes. "Don't look away, darling. I'm not ready to stop looking at you." Kyra looked up slowly, the corners of her mouth pulling up. "Merlin, I am the luckiest man alive."

"Grab my hand, I'm gonna apparate us out of here." Draco declared, standing in front of the windows. Kyra shuffled toward him.

"We can't apparate into the castle, Draco." She stated, the words coming out like more of a question than she had anticipated. He glanced down at her with a knowing smile and grabbed her hand gingerly.

With that, Kyra felt the familiar sensation of being squeezed through a tube. Her head was spinning as she landed on her feet. Draco's hand was still in hers, holding on tightly. Glancing around she took in the rustic cabin they were in. The room was enormous, ceilings taller than she had ever seen with thick wooden beams stretching across them. There was a wall of windows that reached from floor to ceiling, revealing a mountain range coated in white. Snow was falling wherever they were, drifting through the sky in slow motion.

She felt Draco pulling her toward the couches in the corner of the room. They surrounded a massive stone fireplace that crackled a few feet from them. Draco pulled her onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her tightly. Snuggling into him, she buried her head in the crook of his neck. With a strong finger on her chin, he lifted her head, his eyes connecting with hers. An involuntary smile crept onto her face. He slowly closed the space between their lips, a hand moving into her hair to hold her closer. She moved her lips with his, getting lost in him. Time escaped her as they kissed. He pulled away after a minute, leaving her reeling.

"You're radiant." He whispered, mere millimeters from her. She relaxed into him, running a hand through his hair, briefly thinking his hair matched the snow outside. She was glad he decided to forgo the hair gel this year; the disheveled look suited him. His mouth twitched into a slight smile, his eyes glued to her.

"What is this place, Draco?" She asked idly.

"It's my family's cabin." Kyra thought to herself that she wouldn't consider a place this large to be a cabin. "My family has had this place since before I was born," He explained, keeping his gaze trained out the window, "Actually, they bought it while my mum was pregnant with me. She always loved the mountains but I don't think we came here even once. I've never even been to Switzerland. This is the first time. We own a house here and I've never even been. We were supposed to come one Christmas but then Dad got arrested and Mum and I couldn't bring ourselves to come here without him." He trailed off. Kyra hadn't considered how difficult it must have been for him to lose his father like that. The thought hit her moments later that the way he was about to lose him was infinitely worse. The man she had been villainizing was his father—someone he had grown up with, someone he had memories with, someone he loved, someone who was going to be put to death soon. His voice interrupted her thoughts, "Would you like to see the rest of the house?" Nodding, she unfolded herself, standing up and offering him a hand to pull him up. He stood swiftly, getting very close to her and kissing her quickly before threading their fingers together and leading her from the room.

He brought her into the kitchen that was adjacent to the sitting room. It was enormous with dark wood cabinets and stainless appliances that appeared unused. He briefly mentioned that it was the kitchen before moving on. They explored several levels to the house, where she saw several luxurious bathrooms along with bedrooms larger than her house. Draco explained that he had thoroughly explored when he came to place the portkey home here.

"And this is my room." He explained, motioning to a door before turning the knob to open it. Stepping through, he urged her through with him. She glanced around the untouched room, a king sized bed sat in the center with a billowing canopy. There was a small fireplace on the way and another door, which she assumed led to a private bathroom.

Her thoughts were soon interrupted by the feeling of Draco's hands on her as he pushed her back against the door. He pinned her to the door, pressing his body flesh against hers, his hands on either side of her. Kyra felt her heart rate quicken as she caught a glimpse of his eyes, hungry and needy. He slammed his lips against hers, pushing his hips harder into hers. His teeth grazed her lower lip, one of his hands travelling to her hair, pulling at it hastily.

Kyra responded, draping her arms around him, pulling him closer. He bit harder at his lip this time, pulling back slightly. His other hand wandered down her curves, tracing her torso before travelling around to grab her butt. Kyra wrapped a leg up by his hip, causing him to abandon her hair and reach to pick her up so she could wrap both legs around him.

He slammed her against the door roughly, one arm staying on her ass, the other gruffly moving up and down her sides. His tongue darted inside her mouth, swirling around her own. Her hands moved into his hair, tugging hard at it. This elicited a quiet groan and a new hunger for her. His hand slid under her shirt, groping her chest. Kyra tugged at his shirt, urging him to remove it. He did so in fluid movements, soon moving to remove hers too, making a point to push her harder against the door as he did, and pushing his hips hard against hers. He moved his body against hers, his hands exploring her chest as his mouth began to trail kisses across her jaw down to her neck. He began to bite and suck at the tender skin of her nape, forcing a muffle moan from her lips. She felt his hips push harder at the noise, his bulge more noticeable now.

Without notice he picked her back up, carrying her across the room, dropping her into the bed.

Draco collapsed beside her, pulling her against his chest, yanking the covers up over them. He gingerly kissed the top of her head before settling back in. As she drifted off to sleep, she could have sworn she heard a whisper of 'I love you'.


	22. Chapter 21

Rays of gentle sunlight fell across Kyra's face as morning came, waking her peacefully. As her eyes drifted open she saw no sign of Draco, only the opulent room they had slept in. She was covered in a dark comforter, lighter than a cloud and the room appeared to have been tidied up slightly as their clothes no longer littered the floor.

Kyra shifted slightly to sit up, pulling the blanket up with her. Glancing around the room, she couldn't locate any of her clothes. Huffing, she stood up, scanning the floor for something she could throw on in order to go out and look for Draco. Spotting a closet across the room, she opened it, hoping he had, perhaps, hung up their clothes. The closet, little to her surprise, was empty, however. Sighing, her head fell slightly and she noticed Draco's shirt from the previous night half tucked under the bed.

She picked up the white shirt, buttoning it half way up. It draped down over her thighs, covering her well enough for the time being. Kyra attempted to navigate the house, wandering the floor they were on with no sign of Draco. The floor above held the same results but as she began to climb the next set of stairs, the faint sound of whistling floated down at her. She blindly followed the noise until she arrived in the kitchen to see Draco, shirtless, fumbling with a frying pan and whistling idly.

The wooden floors beneath her creaked as she stepped closer, bringing Draco's attention to her, a broad smile warming up his face.

"Good morning, beautiful. I hope you slept well." He greeted her, taking large steps across the kitchen to reach her, sweeping her up in a hug and kissing her forehead.

"Good morning. And I slept wonderfully, that bed is a dream." She responded, reaching up to kiss his lips gently. Kyra thought briefly of how unfamiliar these conversations with Draco were, yet how utterly comfortable she felt none-the-less.

"You know, I thought hiding your clothes this morning guaranteed me a show but I think I may even like this better." He smirked, an eyebrow raised, his eyes making obvious work of scanning her body. That, she thought, was more like it. "I think I'm going to have to insist that you dress this way from this point forward." His arms snaked around her waist, pulling her closer. He leaned in slowly, hovering his lips an inch from hers.

His lips touched hers in a whisper of sensation, so small she wasn't sure he'd even kissed her when a loud pop sounded a room over, startling them both. Kyra jumped back, spinning around to look in the direction of the noise. The echoing of heels reverberated off the floors, coming closer to them and Kyra heard a sharp intake of breath from Draco.

Before she could consider what was happening, she saw the tall, slender body enter the room. Narcissa Malfoy strode in, head high, her hair pulled into a tight knot at the back of her head, strands spiraling down her back. Her mouth drew in tight as she spotted the pair of them and Kyra suddenly felt feeling as though Draco's shirt was not nearly enough clothing.

"Charming." Narcissa muttered, her sharp eyes meticulously scanning Kyra's scantily clad figure, followed by a disapproving look at her son.

"Mum!" He exclaimed in faux-surprise, "What are you doing here?" He stepped forward, protectively moving in front of Kyra, shielding half her body from his mother's harsh gaze.

"I could ask the same of you, Draco. I came to find you." She spoke slowly, carefully selecting each word, her mouth hesitating on every syllable. Draco furrowed his eyebrows, glancing at the ground in confusion.

"How did you know I was here?" His words were laced with skepticism. Narcissa rolled her eyes, her lips pursed.

"I get a log of all apparitions that occur in any of our homes. I had gone to your school to find you but you weren't there. I got the alert just as I was preparing to leave." Draco clenched his jaw, gritting his teeth in aggravation. "Though I'm sure you were quite careful to ensure your privacy for," Pausing, she glanced down her long, pointed nose at Kyra, "Whatever it was you got up to last night." She finished, her voice bitter.

"What did you need so badly you couldn't just owl me?" Though he did his best to hide it, his voice carried a slight edge. Narcissa narrowed her eyes.

"Why don't you have your…friend…find her clothes and then we can talk." Draco opened his mouth to retort but the look on her face quickly shut him up. Kyra felt her cheeks heat up, unable to take her eyes off the ground.

Despite her immense arguments, Draco insisted that Kyra join him in speaking to his mother. She sat, now, on the couch fully dressed, sheepishly crossing her legs and avoiding eye contact with Narcissa. Draco's hand gripped her's tight, helping to her from crumbling.

"Draco, I'm not sure this is appropriate. We should really have this conversation in private." Draco shook his head hard.

"Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of her." His arm snaked around her shoulders.

"Fine, if you insist on being juvenile, I suppose I have no choice." Draco's eyes were stony and unchanging so she continued. "I received an owl this morning. Your father's execution has been moved. We only have two more days with him, Draco. You need to see him before you are out of time. I understand your anger but he is your father and, regardless of whether or not you believe it, he has always done what he thought was best for you." Kyra felt Draco's body deflate beside her, his arm sliding down her back. Her throat caught in her throat. She couldn't imagine how he could be feeling. Any anger she had toward Lucius had immediately vanish, replaced only with pity. Draco's face was hard, his expression frozen.

"There must be something we can do. We can file another petition to push it back. I'm sure this won't really happen, Mum." Narcissa's gaze softened as she watched her son.

"I'm afraid there's nothing left for us to do, Draco. I tried to reason with them but they weren't willing to negotiate. All we can do now is say our goodbyes. You need to make things right with him while you still can." Kyra could see Narcissa's rock hard composure crumbling. She shifted uncomfortably, wanting to comfort Draco or offer her condolences.

"Mum, I don't know how. How am I expected to just forgive him this soon? Even if I felt like I could forgive him, you know just as well as I do that visiting him is too dangerous. I am a walking target and he is being watched." He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling heavily.

"Draco, I understand your hesitations but if you don't do this now, you will never get the chance to. I will ensure every possible protection is available, I would never suggest this if I didn't wholly believe you would be safe." Narcissa's eyes travelled to Kyra now for the first time since they had begun speaking. "Your friend can come if it will make it easier but you need to see him." Draco's head snapped in her direction. Kyra felt her heartrate triple, she couldn't imagine having to look Lucius in the eyes.

"Don't you see, Mum? That's just another reason I can't forgive him!" He was shouting now, "Do you know what he's done? He has destroyed lives! Not only mine, but her's too, and so many innocent people." He rose to his feet, motioning his arms to Kyra, "People like Kyra, who never deserved to be hurt were destroyed by him. He brought this onto himself and he doesn't deserve forgiveness. I'm not going to see him. He can rot in hell for all I care. Now he'll be with the only person he ever truly cared about. He'll be thrilled." His voice flattened with his final words before he stormed from the room, around the corner, the echo of footsteps following him down the stairs.

Kyra lifted her head and saw Narcissa's horrified expression. Her shoulders shook for a moment before she let her head fall. She took a sharp breath in before sighing deeply and pulling herself up straight. Standing, she looked at Kyra. Kyra was more intimidated than she had even been before, shriveling under the gaze of Draco's mother. Her expression was hard, strong, though not unfriendly.

"I don't know who you are or what you mean to Draco but I beg you to talk to him. I apologize for any injustices my husband may have inflicted on you or your family but if you care for Draco, you will speak to him. Convince him that he needs to do this. It is for his own good. He shouldn't have to live his life continually wishing he had mended things with his father. Lucius has taken so much from him already, don't let him take any more but forcing Draco to spend his life dwelling on goodbyes he wished he could have given." Kyra nodded breathlessly. "I will be visiting him tomorrow at 4. The execution will be the following day at noon. Please, talk to him."

With a pop, she was gone as suddenly as she'd come, leaving Kyra reeling. She leaned forward, resting her head behind her knees, breathing deeply, waves of nauseous crashing against her body. Her skin was ablaze, millions of pinpricks numbing her. Forcing several even breaths to pass through her lips, Kyra pulled herself up. She swallowed hard before standing and pushing all her thoughts aside so she could speak to Draco. He needed her more now.

She wandered down the stairs, toward his bedroom, hoping to find him there. Passing across the floor below, she spotted him through the window, on the deck, his knees pulled up to his chest. She stepped outside, careful to make as little noise as possible. She sat in the seat beside him, reaching over to kiss the top of his head. His head shot up, anger filling his bloodshot eyes. His face gave him away, lines of wet skin running from the corner of each eye. She had never seen him this way. He was almost childlike—angry and innocent.

His eyes softened as he spotted her, unfurling his legs and pulling her into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her tight and she did the same to him. They wordlessly embraced each other for several minutes, Narcissa's request nagging at Kyra's gut.

"Draco, I think you should go." Her voice was a hoarse whisper, the words tiptoeing out. His arms dropped, his eyes locked on hers. He looked angry and she regret the words now but it was too late. "I think you will regret it if you don't. You should say goodbye." He slid back, forcing Kyra off his lap.

"How do you know what I'll regret, Kyra? My father was a terrible man and, believe it or not, an even worse father. He doesn't deserve a goodbye and he certainly doesn't deserve my forgiveness." Panic swelled in Kyra's chest. She didn't like seeing Draco angry; it scared her.

"No but you deserve it, Draco. You deserve the chance to live your life without wishing you hadn't wasted your opportunity to say you forgive him. Don't spend your life wishing, Draco. It isn't worth it." His eyes narrowed.

"Don't spend my life wishing? Oh you mean like how I've spent my life wishing my father cared? Or like how I spent my life wishing to spend time with him? I spent my life wanting him around and he never was and now that he wants to spend time with me I should just come running? No. That's bullshit." Kyra bit her lip, she hadn't heard Draco talk like this before.

"You're angry right now. I understand. Everyone does. But you won't be angry forever and when you're not angry anymore you're going to regret not saying goodbye. Don't let how you're feeling now cause you to make a decision you'll regret for the rest of your life." His jaw clenched, his eyes blazing. Kyra had never felt so small.

"You don't know how I feel, Kyra. Don't pretend to. And honestly, don't pretend to care about me and my father. We both know you hate him almost as much as I do so you certainly aren't doing this for him."

"I care about you!" She shouted, the last bit of confidence eking its way out of her. Draco scoffed loudly and she shrunk back down.

"Don't make me laugh! Kyra, you don't care about me. You spent weeks trying to force me to leave you alone. You might not hate me anymore but you don't care about me. You don't have any right to tell me how to deal with my family. You don't care about our well-being so, please, stay out of it." Kyra bit her lip, tears welling in her eyes, her breath coming out ragged.

"Are you daft? I don't care about you? I spent weeks trying not to fall for you. That's why I pushed you away and you know it! Don't push me away now, Draco. You know I care about you more than anything and I know you care about me. Don't be like this." Kyra was yelling back down, realizing they were both standing now, though she wasn't entirely sure what that had occurred.

"No, Kyra, I don't. You can thank my father for that too. He taught me not to care about anything or anyone. So no, I don't care about you. You were a conquest and now I've gotten what I wanted so you can go." A sharp pain shot through her center and she was suddenly sitting again, all her gusto knocked out from under her.

"You don't mean that, Draco. You're upset and you don't want to be told what to do. I'm sorry if I've upset you but don't say things like that. Please." Her voice wavered and she looked up at him, not realizing the small streaks of tears falling from the corners of her eyes. Draco looked at her for a moment, his body shaking slightly. There was a flicker of something hidden behind his eyes but he quickly looked away from her.

"You should go. The portkey back to school is in the living room. It's a shoebox." Kyra looked at him pleadingly but he refused to look at her.

"Draco, please don't do this." Still nothing. Kyra stood, walking past him but stopped in the doorway. Something wasn't right. This wasn't him. He cared about her. She was certain.

She was still facing the house when his voice sounded. "Please go, Kyra." His voice wavered on her name and she smiled to herself.

In brisk movements, Kyra spun around and approached him before he could respond, wrapping her arms around him. She looked up at him, her eyes soft, standing on her toes, her lips a whisper from his. He squeaked out a breathy 'please' but Kyra silenced him with a kiss. His arms instinctively closed around her, pulling her flesh against him. He kissed her back softly, passion sweeping them both away.

After she pulled away he closed his eyes tight, sighing. "Dammit, Kyra."

"What's going on, Draco? Talk to me." He finally looked at her, and took a seat again.

"You were right about my father. I'm going to see him. I have to."

"So why the charade?" Draco grit his teeth.

"Because it's dangerous. Really dangerous. You've lost so much already, Kyra. I was thinking that if I made you hate me, it might be easier on you if I…you know…didn't come back." Kyra's chest heaved at the thought.

"Draco, you're going to come back. I'm going to do anything in my power to keep you safe." Draco's eyes grew.

"You're not coming, Kyra. It's far too dangerous. I'm not going to risk that. Absolutely not." Kyra rolled her eyes.

"You're a complete nut if you think I'm letting you go alone. We can keep each other safe, Draco. This is why we've been training."

"We haven't been training that long, Kyra. We haven't come close to finishing the new spell and we aren't nearly where we need to be with combat." She raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, Draco, _we_ aren't. Which is exactly why _you_ shouldn't go alone. You may as well accept this, I'm not gonna just let you go alone so get over it." He sighed, pulling her in and kissing her forehead.

"I hate you so much, darling." Kyra giggled, burying her head in his chest.

"Hate you too, dear." But she didn't. Not even close. Not even a little bit. No matter how much she had wanted to in the beginning, she didn't hate him at all.


	23. Chapter 22

"Baaaaaaabe, pleeeeeease. I can't look at arithmancy anymore." Draco whined, attempting to force the book closed, though Kyra's hand stopped him. They had come home from the cabin not long after their fight had been resolved. She had insisted he spend time studying now, seeing as his next few days were due to be extremely busy and emotionally taxing.

"You need to study for this test! If you fail another test, you aren't going to pass this semester!" Kyra tried her hardest to be serious but his pout was making it increasingly difficult. He huffed, sitting back, accepting his fate. Kyra grinned in triumph, though it was short lived.

Draco suddenly lurched forward, pushing her backwards onto the couch, laying on top of her. He dusted kisses all over her face, making her giggle, trying to push him off. Taking her hands, he pinned them above her, kissing her harder. She felt herself getting swept up in him, kissing him back with fervor. He moved one hand down to run his hands over her sides and under her shirt.

The door creaked open, a slew of voices suddenly filling the dorm. Kyra's surprise jerked her up, forcing Draco to tumble to the floor. George stepped into the room, eyebrows raised, a broad smile lighting up his face.

"You know, Kyra, your room is literally ten feet from you. My sister is sleeping on that couch! You dirty dogs!" Heat rose to her face rapidly, looking away, a smile playing at her lips as she tried not to laugh.

"Okay, Georgey, I'll just pretend I didn't catch you and Sophie snogging on this couch just last week." George beamed, though Sophie blushed ferociously.

"Fair point, I'll concede this time but next time, I promise I shall triumph!" Kyra chuckled, pulling Draco back up onto the couch beside her. He looked frustrated, though she wasn't sure if it was due to the fact that they'd been interrupted or if it was because she was going to force him to get back to Arithmancy now.

They spend the remainder of the night huddle on the couch, Kyra attempting to get him to focus and Draco desperately trying to distract her. As the girls began to file in for bed, Kyra begrudgingly agreed to set him free from his arithmancy hell.

They stood, sauntering to the door, where he leaned against the wall, holding her hands in his. He lifted them, leaving small kisses on them.

"You should join me. I'm quite certain going to bed won't be nearly as nice now that I know how wonderful it is to go to sleep with you there." Kyra gave him a lopsided grin as he raised his eyebrows. He was absolutely correct. The previous night had been wonderful for many reasons, falling asleep in his arms definitely being one of them.

"I don't know that Marcus would approve of that." She scolded with a smirk. A brilliant smile came to his face then.

"We will just have to head to the nearest broom closet then!" He exclaimed, grabbing her hand and pulling her out the door. Kyra giggled, pulling him back and kissing him gently.

"Very funny, Malfoy." She mused, pretending to glare at him. "Now get to bed, we have to be up early tomorrow." His familiar pout reappeared and Kyra giggled, pushing his shoulder back. "I mean it, you. Get out of here." He dramatically looked away from her, unable to hide his smile.

"Yes dearrrrrr." He drawled, walking across the hall, still holding onto her hand tightly, keeping his eyes trained off to the side. Kyra rolled her eyes, pulling him to her one last time to kiss him deeply, wrapping her arms around him. He quickly followed suit. Breaking their kiss slowly, she kept her arms around him.

"Good night, sweetie." She gave him another quick peck. He rested his forehead on hers, a vague smile playing on his lips.

"Good night, doll." The edge of her lips quipped up at his gruff voice, her eyes locked with him, unable to look away. With a final kiss, he pulled away from her, heading back to his dorm. Kyra stepped back into her room, quickly retreating to bed, thoughts of him swirling in her mind, a smile plastered to her face.

The next morning played out as any other, aside from the immense nagging in the pit of Kyra's stomach. They were leaving to see Lucius in one hour and she was certain she was 95% nerves. Draco was not much better but continually rubbed her back in attempts to calm her down. He had been unable to shake the feeling that this was a terrible idea but Kyra wouldn't budge. She insisted that he needed to speak to his father.

They had arranged to use the floo network through the headmaster's office in order to get to Azkaban. Kyra had not even begun to consider how terrifying it would be inside there. Her heartrate skyrocketed as they begun to the trek up to the headmaster's office. She couldn't shake the feeling of this being a death march. They truthfully weren't ready if anything happened. Though, realistically, she thought, no one would dare try anything while they were in the most secure prison in the world.

They had booked a muggle hotel in a nearby town for the night so they would be able to get to the execution the following day. It was going to be traumatic but Draco insisted that he be there to support his mother. He had been rather stoic in regard to his emotions on the matter, cutting it short after they had secured the details.

Standing in the fireplace, Kyra shut her eyes, taking a deep breath as she prepared for what she would see in a few moments. Azkaban had an active fireplace in the visitor center, Draco had informed her. It was rather gloomy and there were guards nearly everywhere you looked. Though, as he explained, it only got worse once you cleared security. Opening her eyes, Kyra attempted to give Draco a reassuring smile before sending herself off in a puff of green light.

Stepping out of the fireplace, Kyra gazed around. The room was grey nearly everywhere. The walls were grey bricks with grey tile floors. There were no windows and, as Draco had said, guards littering every corner of the room. She took several more steps forward, turning around to wait for Draco to appear, which he did after another few seconds. He came forward, entwining their fingers, glumly looking around the room. Shutting his eyes hard, he prepared himself for what was ahead. He forced a meek smile to comfort Kyra and started toward the security gate.

There was a large doorway, guarded by several wizards in full, black cloaks. The first, tall and balding, narrowed his eyes at them, squaring them up. His mouth twitched as he took in Draco, a dissatisfied sneer forming.

"Wands." He demanded, jutting out his calloused hand. Kyra gulped and conceded, pulling her wand from her boot and placing it in the palm of his hand. Draco did the same, his face stony, likely trying not to letting the man know he was effecting him. "Good. Step through the sensor." Draco had warned her about the sensor previously. It had a magical property detector to ensure no one brought any magical devices or potions. Kyra and Draco stepped through one by one without issue, allowing her to let out a sigh of relief. She hadn't brought anything magical but the guards made her incredibly anxious.

The second guard stood by them on the other side of the gate, holding two vials in his hand. Draco hadn't mentioned anything about this. She eyed him suspiciously, attempting to identify the liquid by its color, her lack of potions knowledge failing her again.

"Veritaserum. Drink it." He barked, forcing the vials into their hands.

"I've never had to do this before," Draco insisted, "What is this all about?"

"New protocol." The man replied gruffly. Kyra let out a sigh before downing the potion. Draco huffed beside her but followed suit. Kyra's head began to spin, the familiar sensation of Veritaserum making her lightheaded. The Carrows had frequently required kids they were suspicious of to take it. It had never ended well for her.

The guard snatched their vials back, pointing a bony finger down the hall where another guard was waiting, informing them they would be questioned there. Kyra nervously glanced at Draco.

"I'm nervous." She blurted without thought. Draco gave a strained look, nodded and leading her down the hall.

The man at the end of the hall took them to a small room where they were asked a series of questions about their intentions here and whether or not they had anything on them. As expected, it went well and the man led them out of the room to the entrance to the holding cells.

Directly after stepping through the door, Kyra felt her heart drop. Darkness enveloped her thoughts as she gazed around the damp stone walls, bars holding back dozens of men on each side. The guard led them through the halls, several men shouting obscenities at Draco as he passed by, the word 'traitor' being muttered more times than she could count. Kyra began to feel ill as they continued on.

After what felt like forever, the guard came to a stop, using a large key to unlock a door. Ushering them inside, he shut the door behind them, informing them they had fifteen minutes. Kyra spun back around, suddenly wishing she was anywhere else. This was clearly a mistake and she should not have come. Draco's arm around her brought her back, helping her realize that the security of the closed door shut out the dark thoughts that had clouded her mind.

She glanced around the room, there was a large table in the center of the room with three chairs placed on each side. They took their seats on one side, watching the door on the other side of the room. The walls were all the same shade of grey from the visitor center with the same lack of windows and grey tile floor. Draco reached over, squeezing her hand, his mouth twitching in, what she assumed was, a small smile. He looked more nervous than she was, his blonde hair gelled back the way it had been in Hogwarts, no doubt in an attempt to make his father happy. He was shaking slightly and Kyra felt her heart ache for him.

"It's going to be alright, Draco. You can do this." She faked her best reassuring smile before the door creaked open, the dark feelings drifting in as if carried by the wind. Kyra kept her eyes glued to the door, watching in dismay as a broken, disheveled Lucius Malfoy stepped into the room. His long blonde hair was horribly unkempt, his beard untrimmed and greying. He was dressed in a grey and white stripped jumpsuit, his hands shackled in the front. The once mighty man had truly fallen.

He slowly made his way to the table, his eyes glued to the floor, no hint of emotion on his face. He took a seat carefully, placing his hands on the table, his eyes connecting with his son's. There was silence for several moments, the noises of the prison cut off as the door slid shut behind him.

"Draco," He drawled, "I'm so glad you came." Draco flinched at his name, his chest heaving, no expression on his face.

"Father." He acknowledged him in a short greeting.

"I've wanted to talk to you." He paused, waiting for Draco to respond but after several moments of nothing, simply continued. "Why don't you introduce me to your friend?" Kyra's heart stopped at Lucius looked over at her for the first time. He was clearly doing it as a means to warm Draco up to him but his eyes on her were beyond intimidating. As their eyes connected, a moment of questioning passed over him, squinting at her, as if trying to read her from afar. Kyra tried to force breath out of her throat with little success. The last time she had looked him in the eyes, she was hexing him. The last time she had looked him in the eyes, he had just killed her best friend.

"This is Kyra Harding, she's my girlfriend." Draco spoke protectively, his eyes carefully watching her expression. He gave her hand a small squeeze, breaking Kyra's concentration, a long breath passing her lips. She looked at him, desperately.

"Ah, a Harding. I knew your father well. Argus Harding, correct?" His eyes were still on her and she nodded curtly. "He is a good man. Did you attend Hogwarts?" Kyra inhaled sharply.

"Yes sir." She attempted to sound civil. Lucius' face twitched as he glanced at her, something flitting across his eyes.

"And you attend Fanderbold now?" He kept a small, tight smile on his face. Kyra repeated her words. "Excellent choice. Draco, did you know Kyra in Hogwarts?" He turned back to Draco now, the same expression glued to his face.

"No sir. I had seen her in the halls but we never spoke." Lucius raised an eyebrow, imploring Draco to continue. "She…ah…she was in Hufflepuff." Lucius blinked several times, attempting to appear unphased.

"Ah I see. And how did you meet at Fanderbold?" Draco appeared slightly amused that his father had breezed past the topic without comment. Draco answered several more questions about how they met and how he had won her over.

"My boy, you take after me in the romance department. I always knew how to woo your mother, as well." Draco stifled a scoff. "But Draco, I really did want to speak to you about something." His tone took a serious turn. Draco straightened up, his expression hardened, knowing what was coming. "I…I wanted to apologize to you." The words sounded forced on his tongue, entirely unfamiliar. "I put you and your mother in danger far too many times in a…" He hesitated, wincing as he continued, "misguided devotion to the Dark Lord." Kyra couldn't help but think that calling Voldemort 'The Dark Lord' signified him not truly believing that it was misguided but she stayed silent. "I risked this family's safety and didn't allow you to choose a path for yourself. I forced you to make terrible decisions that no child should have to make and truly am sorry for that. I was selfish and afraid and I hope that you can forgive me." Draco stared straight forward, silent, and expressionless, as if he hadn't even heard his father. "Draco?" Kyra squeezed his hand lightly and he panned his eyes down to meet his father's gaze.

"Is that all you're sorry for? Just for me and mum?" His voice was quiet and calm though Kyra could tell there was a storm raging behind his eyes. Lucius froze, suddenly looking rather afraid. "You aren't sorry for the casualties? You aren't sorry for the people you killed? You aren't sorry for the families you tore apart? You aren't sorry for the people you hurt beyond repair?" Kyra felt her heartrate speed up as she could sense where he was headed.

"Well of course I am, Draco. I…I…never wanted to…" Lucius stammered, taken aback by Draco's words. "Killing people was never the…the plan. I just did what I had to to keep you safe. I never would have…you know I never wanted to…" He trailed off, nervously glancing around the room.

"You did what you had to? How many people have you killed, father? Do you know their names? Do you have any idea?" He demanded, not taking his eyes off his father. Lucius inhaled sharply.

"I do. I killed seven people. I know each of their names. Their faces haunt my nightmares, Draco. Do you truthfully believe I am a monster?" Draco's mouth tightened into a small, condescending smile, an eyebrow raised, willing him to continue. "There was Celestina Babin, Tyrial Mancesni, Celby Wardrin, Malkin Mooroe, Nymphadora Tonks," She was taken aback, not realizing he had also been responsible for Tonks. She hadn't known Tonks well but the few times she had met her, she had been an exceptionally kind witch. "Dillon Ronort, and Chelsea Caputo." Kyra's breath caught in her throat as he said her name. Panic filled her body and she unconsciously dropped Draco's hand. He looked at her nervously.

"Do the people's whose lives you destroy get their apologies too? Or is it just me?" Draco asked quietly, not looking at his father, his eyes trained on Kyra. She was forcing her breath out over and over, her lip trembling, careful to look at nothing in particular. Lucius looked at her thoughtfully for a moment.

"I knew I recognized you." He stated simply. "You were the girl that fought with Chelsea." Her head spun wildly as he said her name again. "I am so sorry, dear." Nausea washed over her as he called her 'dear'. "I never intended to kill. I understand you have no reason to believe me but I promise you its true. I simply wanted the debris to distract you so we could move elsewhere. I didn't realize how much would fall or that it would hit her directly. I would never have purposefully killed a child. I am so sorry for the pain I must have caused you." Kyra looked at him then, taking in his words. Never in her life did she think she would get an apology. It was so unexpected and presented her with information she never thought she would receive. It had been an accident? She wasn't sure that it changed anything. Chelsea was still gone and she could never get her back. She had no idea how to respond, though she wasn't entirely sure her voice would work at that moment regardless.

"She is still gone. You were on the wrong side and killed a seventeen year old girl. Why should she forgive you?" Draco's eyes were ice, staring hard at his father.

"It was an accident." Kyra croaked, her eyes staying locked with Lucius'. Draco looked at her incredulously. "Chelsea would have wanted me to move on and this is the first step to accepting what happened and beginning to heal. This is the closure I have needed for seven months and I truthfully don't know that I can thank you enough." The words spilled out without her permission, the effects of the Veritaserum still not fully rubbed off. "I forgive you." Kyra and Lucius kept their eyes on each other for nearly a minute, tears brimming Kyra's eyes. A small smile graced his face and his eyes became glossy.

"Thank you so much, Kyra." His voice was soft and sincere. Kyra nodded, letting out a deep breath. Lucius turned to his son. "Draco, I have never been a proper father to you. I should have been around more and I should have realized that you are my number one priority. I wish I had realized it sooner. I am so sorry. If I could do it all differently I would. But I am really, truly sorry." Draco set his jaw, looking at Kyra. She gave a small nod and he looked back to his father.

"I forgive you." He looked small again, the same small boy that Kyra had seen in the cabin. The same boy who only wanted a proper family. Lucius stood, walking around the table and Draco embraced him tightly, wrapping his arms around him when the guard swung the door open.

"Your fifteen minutes is up." He bellowed, walking to Lucius and marching him out before he had time for any goodbyes. The door slammed behind him and Kyra looked to Draco. He was standing in the same spot, tears beginning to fall from his face. She rushed over to him, wrapping him in a hug and he sobbed onto her shoulder.

"He's gone, Kyra. That's the last time I will ever talk to my father. How can they just take him like that? He need more time. I need more time." Kyra rubbed his back, letting him cry before the guard came to escort them out.

They went to the hotel, desperate for sleep. The day had been draining and tomorrow was due to be worse. Kyra had never seen a dementor's kiss but she couldn't imagine it was going to be easy to watch. She went to sleep feeling heavy and light. There was no way to describe her emotions she knew everything would be different tomorrow.


	24. Chapter 23

Kyra's eyes fluttered open, the image of the hotel door coming into focus. Upon arriving back at the hotel, they had promptly gone to sleep, despite it only being four in the afternoon. The experience in Azkaban had been grueling and neither of them had the strength to carry on a conversation. Kyra wasn't sure what she could say that would soften the blow of the heartache Draco was inevitably feeling now. The flurry of emotions she was feeling could only pale in comparison to what he was going through.

Their nap had been nothing like their previous night spent together. While she had originally been quite enthusiastic about enjoying another night in his arms, the dread they each carried in the pit of their stomachs seemed to dampen the experience. They had hardly spoken once they got back to the hotel, glumly shuffling about. They had promptly crawled in bed, lying together stiffly. While Draco had begun with his arm around her, they were each like boards, eventually giving up and lying on their sides facing opposite each other.

Kyra turned over in bed, noticing Draco was still asleep. She cuddled up to him, his sleeping frame less rigid than he had been previously. Even unconscious, his face was wracked with worry and despair. Kyra frowned. She hated to see him this way. She had been similarly inconsolable when Chelsea had died and hoped, desperately, that Draco would let her in.

Before she could give it another thought, a sharp tap caused her to jump slightly, her head snapping in the direction of the window. A small, scruffy barn owl was hovering outside their window. Kyra glanced back at Draco, ensuring she hadn't woken him. He hadn't stirred so she carefully slid out of bed, padding across the room. She cracked the window open, removing the paper that had been secured to his leg. She gave him a pet, glancing around the room for something to give him, finding nothing useful. The owl gave her a sharp peck on the finger before flying from the room.

Kyra absentmindedly rubbed the spot he had pecked while opening the letter. It was from Madison.

 _Kyra, I hope all is going well there. I can't imagine this is easy for either of you but I hope you hold strong. We are getting closer to figuring the spell here and hopefully will have something to show you when you return. I know this must be terribly emotional for you but all of us here are sending you love. Please be safe tomorrow. You never know who could be planning to attend and we need you both to come back in one piece. Someone needs to keep George and Eli in line as they've been intolerably mischievous in your absence. Good luck tomorrow!_ _All our love, Madison and Co. :)_

Kyra smiled to herself, rereading the letter before placing it on the nightstand. She could only imagine what the two had been up to. In the recent weeks, George and Eli had grown rather close, bringing out the mischief maker in each other. While Kyra was glad to see George was getting back to himself, she could have done without the pranks they pulled on her and Draco every time they got a chance to be alone together.

Her head shot in the other direction as the sheets began to rustle. Draco was stirring in bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. His hair was a mess and she was suddenly disappointed she had missed seeing him wake up back at the cabin.

"Hey you. How're you feeling?" Draco shrugged, hardly glancing at her. "I just received a letter from everyone back at school. They sent us their love." She did her best to sound chipper in hopes he would warm up soon.

"Us? Let's not exaggerate. They sent you their love." His tone was harsh, and Kyra shrunk back, glancing at the letter. The letter hadn't specified either way but she had taken it to mean both of them. Regardless, his tone was harsher than necessary. She was unsure what she had done to warrant him snapping at her. She decided it was best to drop it and change the subject.

"Are you hungry? We could try to get food." She kept the hopeful voice on, attempting to ignore his response.

"I'm not feeling much like leaving." He wasn't looking at her, his voice devoid of emotion. She found herself wishing he would just look at her.

"How are you feeling, Draco?" She tried to speak softly, not wanting to upset him. He finally looked up at her, though she now wished he hadn't.

"Merlin, Kyra! Can you just leave me be for fifteen minutes? I don't need you tending to me like a child. Stop droning on. Honestly, leave me alone. I don't want your bullshit sympathies right now!" He had raised his voice and Kyra felt as though she was actually getting smaller, standing in his cold gaze. She couldn't bear to look at him anymore as she trained her eyes to the floor. She understood he was hurting. He didn't know how to process the things he was feeling but he was being cruel and she was already emotional.

The smile fell from her face and she gave a semblance of a nod before sliding on her shoes and hurrying out the door. She dashed through the posh halls of the muggle hotel, rushing down the stairs and out onto the streets of the town nearest the island Azkaban was located on. Draco had mentioned his mother, along with a few of his other relatives, were also staying in this town. That was the reason he had chosen a muggle hotel. He wanted to limit his time with them. Kyra kept her fingers crossed that she wouldn't find them around.

She hugged her sweater tighter to her body as the harsh December winds whipped at her face, chapping her skin. She slipped into a pub down the road, hopping onto a stool at the bar. The bartender shot her a dubious look when she ordered an ale but she presented the fake ID Chelsea had made for her in fifth year and he shrugged, honoring her request.

Sighing, she glanced down at the ID, admiring Chelsea's handiwork. She had made IDs for several other kids in their year. Kyra grimaced, realizing she wouldn't need it for much longer as her eighteenth birthday was quickly approaching. Amid the drama they were facing, her aging should have been the least of her concerns but she couldn't help her mind from wandering. Adulthood was just on the horizon and she felt unprepared. After last year's events, she had thought being an adult couldn't be any worse as she had already been forced to do all the maturing she thought she needed to. All innocence she once had was long gone so she had been certain becoming an adult was going to feel meaningless but as it sped toward her, she wanted to recoil.

Taking a large swig from her cup, she set it back down, mindlessly rolling the bottom along its edges. She tried to think of things that could distract her—her friends in Fanderbold, she should really write them back to let them know they were alright; her parents back home, perhaps if Draco didn't want her here, she should pop by to visit them. She had been writing to her parents nearly every week since the school year started but as she grew closer to Draco, her letters had become less and less descriptive. They never would have approved of him, knowing his family. Lucius had mentioned her father when they spoke—called him a good man. Her father could not feel more opposite in regard to the Malfoys. He had gone to school with Lucius while Kyra's mother had been in Narcissa's year. Her mother grew very close to Andromeda and to this day they were still close friends. She even looked after Ted when Andromeda had work. Her thoughts started a panic in her; what if Andromeda attended the execution? Lucius had mentioned he was Nymphadora's murderer. She wouldn't be faulted if she wanted to see the downfall of the man who condoned her disowning and then murdered her daughter. If Andromeda saw her there with Draco, she surely would tell her mother. Perhaps it would be better if Kyra just left then. Draco clearly didn't want her there and it was dangerous.

As a myriad of panicked thoughts flooded her brain, a hand rested on her shoulder, causing her to jump and pulling her from her own head. Looking up at the owner of the hand, she saw the familiar head of blonde hair looking down at her, his face softened from their earlier encounter.

"May I?" He motioned to the stool beside her. Kyra nodded and he took a seat. "Kyra, I'm sorry I snapped at you. I know you're trying to help; I'm just confused. I'm so glad you're here for me because truthfully, I don't know that I could get through this without you. I know this probably isn't easy on you either. This trip was too much to ask from you and I've been a completely wanker so if you choose to head home, I'll understand." His voice was soft and his eyes were bloodshot. His pale face was splotchy and puffed out. He was doing a wonderful job of giving nothing away with his voice but he had clearly been crying before he came to her. She couldn't leave him like this.

"I'm alright, Draco. Today had been long and stressful and emotional. Everyone has a breaking point. Why don't we go back to the hotel room? We can just lay about and relax. Maybe order some room service like a couple of ordinary muggles." She smirked, raising an eyebrow. Draco scrunched his face distastefully but chuckled.

"I suppose if there is one sure-fire way to not become like my father, it's to behave like a muggle. And we _are_ staying in a muggle hotel so, you know, when in Rome." Kyra grinned. "I'm in. C'mon beautiful, let's get out of here." Kyra took his outstretched hand and followed him out, tossing down a few muggle dollars for the bartender.

"You know, muggle food really isn't as bad as I'd expected." Draco remarked, dusting his hands off. Kyra smirked.

"Are you trying to tell me that you, THE Draco Malfoy, approves of something made by muggles?" Draco rolled his eyes with a smile. "Be still my heart. Who would have thought the day would come?" He shoved her shoulder back, shaking his head. Kyra had a wide smile on her face, her worries about the next day currently held off.

"You best not tell anyone. I wouldn't want my reputation to be tarnished." He gave her a wink, a sly smile glued to his face. Kyra raised her eyebrows.

"And if I do?" She challenged. A mischievous grin spread and Kyra giggled, backing up across the bed. He moved quickly, pouncing on her, his hands moving to her sides, tickling her as she squirmed under him. She thrashed wildly, giggling, only making him tickle her more.

"You brought this on yourself, just surrender and I'll consider sparing you." Kyra squealed.

"Never!"

"Suit yourself!" He used one of his hands to pin both of her hands above her head, leaving her completely unprotected. She squirmed more, screaming and laughing. He tickled her sides with his other hand. "You've given me no other option than to go nuclear!" She widened her eyes, trying to decipher what he meant, watching his hand slowly move up near her face. Realization struck as he stuck out his index finger. She shook her head, thrashing about.

"No, Draco, don't!" He only smirked up at her, a glint in his eye as he stuck his finger in his mouth, wetting it. "Draco!" She squealed to no avail as he stuck his finger into her ear. "Okay! Okay! I surrender! Please!" Satisfied, he sat up, removing his finger from her ear and jutting his chin out triumphantly. Kyra scrunched up her face, scowling at him but quickly dissolved into a fit of giggles.

He leaned down, kissing her deeply. Kyra smiled into the kiss before another tap at the window shifted her attention. A snowy owl was hovering outside, his leg sagging. Kyra cocked her head, watching it. Draco crawled off her, striding across the room to remove a parcel from the owl's leg. The owl didn't wait for a treat before nervously taking off.

Draco made his way to the bed, bouncing onto it with the package in his hands, offering it to Kyra. She unwrapped the brown parchment carefully, a small box within, a note fastened to the top. Kyra yanked the paper off the box, reading it to herself.

 _Kyra, I told Madison she should have waited to send you the letter before! We hadn't wanted to mention it until we were sure we could obtain one but we managed to pull some strings and tada! We programmed our number in for you. Be sure to carry it with you tomorrow in case anything happens. I love owls but they aren't always the most reliable so hopefully this will help! – Hayden and Co._

Kyra's eyebrows knit together for a moment before realization dawned on her. Hayden had mentioned looking into some technology that was developing over there for a while that could help with communication and she must have found it. She tore into the box, seeing a tiny black rectangle. Draco picked up the small rectangle, holding it between his fingers, examining it but seeing nothing extraordinary.

"What is it?" He queried, poking at a button on it, tossing it across the bed as it lit up, and made a loud series of noises.

"Hayden was telling me about these! Apparently it's like a muggle communication device. Have you heard of telephones?" Draco nodded. "Apparently the muggles have created one you can carry about with you when you leave the house." He warily raised an eyebrow. "Some wizards believe this is an easier way to keep in contact with each other. They've been developing it for a few years, trying to figure out how to make it work with magic. This must have cost a fortune!" The American wizarding society was far more technologically driven than the Europeans. Hayden told Kyra about how in her sophomore year she would be taking a series of classes on creating technology.

She tapped several buttons on the device, watching in awe as the screen changed in response. She tried to make sense of what each button did.

"Hayden said she put her number in here. We should try to contact them." Draco furrowed his brow, skeptically glancing at the rectangle.

"How does it work? How do you contact her with that?" Kyra's mouth grew together, contemplating the answer. She wasn't quite sure how it worked. While a few of her muggle-born friends had mentioned telephones to her before, she had never seen one and Hayden hadn't given her much information about them. She shrugged her shoulders, pressing more buttons. After tapping several buttons, she found a screen with Hayden's name on it. She used the button that selected her name. There was an option to 'call' her. Kyra wasn't quite sure what that meant and was suddenly wishing she had opted to take muggle studies in school.

Eli had mentioned to her that muggle studies had been mandatory in Tromington. The efforts to normalize and accept muggles had been decades in the works in America. Muggle films, sports, and even television were common place in wizard homes there. Some believed that's why Voldemort opted out of terrorizing the Americans—the fight was too large. He may have been deranged but he was strategic and knew targeting the Americans was a losing battle.

Kyra pressed the button to call Hayden, watching the screen darken, a counter in the center ticking away. Draco leaned in, the two of them huddling over the screen. The small rectangle began making noises again—long, high-pitched trills. Just as Kyra was beginning to wonder just how long it took to get in contact with her, Hayden's voice burst through the device.

"You figured it out!" Hayden exclaimed, startling Draco. Her voice was quiet and static-y so Kyra brought the phone closer to their ears.

"Hardly!" Kyra laughed. "These things are bloody confusing." Hayden's hearty laugh floated through the speaker, muffled words in the background.

"Eli was betting you wouldn't even be able to turn it on." Kyra could hear Eli shouting something in the background but couldn't make out what he was saying. "How was today?" Kyra fell silent, glancing at Draco anxiously.

"It was emotional." Draco inserted, a bit too loudly. "I'm so glad Kyra was there. I don't know how I could have done it if she hadn't been there." He pat his hand on her thigh reassuringly. Kyra offered a meek smile before turning her attention back to the phone.

"I'm sorry, Draco. That can't be easy. Are you ready for tomorrow?" Draco tensed.

"No. But I can't imagine I could ever be emotionally ready for that so all I can do is sleep and hoping I'm physically ready in case anything goes wrong." The only noise coming through was the crackle of the speaker.

"Well you should get some sleep. Keep your phone close by and be sure to call us if anything happens."

"Of course. Let everyone know we say hello." Kyra replied. They said their goodbyes and hung up the phone, resting it on the bedside table. They crawled into bed together, snuggling close. Kyra rested her head on his chest, attempting to think of something, anything, she could say to comfort him. Nothing she could possibly say would ease the pain that tomorrow would inevitably bring.

"Good night, Draco." Her mind raced as she struggled to find the right words. "I know tomorrow is going to be hard but I'll be right there the whole time, okay? I won't leave your side." Draco kissed her forehead.

"Good night, angel."

The morning came quicker than either of them were ready for, the golden light of the sun leaking past the blinds and spilling over Kyra's face. Groaning, she threw an arm over her eyes, blocking out the rays before rolling onto Draco. He let out a guttural grunt and squeezed his arms around her.

"Good morning, Ky." He croaked, still not allowing his eyes to open. "What time is it?" Kyra glanced at the flashing clock on their bedside table. It blinked 9:30 at her and she groaned again.

"Half past nine." Draco echoed her sentiment.

"We should probably get ready to go. I promised my mum I would met her at 10:30." Kyra's breathing hitched as the thoughts of seeing Narcissa again plagued her brain. Their first encounter had been less than ideal.

Kyra silently agreed, pushing herself off him. They dressed in silence, pulling on endless pieces of black clothing. Kyra couldn't help but be reminded of Draco's days at Hogwarts, seeing him in his all black suit, his hair slicked back.

"Zip me up?" Kyra looked back at Draco, her unzipped black dress revealing her bare back. He noiselessly crossed the room, kissing up her back before zipping the dress. Brushing her hair over her shoulder, he dusted kisses across the nape of her neck.

"You ready, sunshine?" He stepped around to the front of her, snaking his arms around her. Kyra offered a convincing smile; today was going to be very trying for him and he would need her support—no matter the dizzying levels of nausea she was experiencing.

Narcissa's pale, pointed face sent waves of anxiety through Kyra the moment it came into view. She opened her arms and enveloped Draco in a firm hug, no visible emotion on her face. The dark bags under her eyes had been expertly covered in several layers of foundation, as if the months of sleepless nights and anxiety had suddenly been erased.

Drawing back, she took in Kyra's small frame, her sneer hidden behind a thin veil of a smile. "Hello, dear. Glad to see you again." The moment the words passed her lip, her mouth drew back into a tight grimace. Kyra was shaken by the shell of a woman that stood before her. Narcissa had always been a strong, confident woman and she now appeared to be an empty woman that was using every ounce of effort she had left to look unaffected.

Before Kyra could return the sentiment, a booming voice echoed through the waiting room. "Malfoy, Lucius. All spectators to the clearance room." Bile burned at Kyra's throat at the words. Spectators. It sounded so cruel. As if watching this man die was a sport to be enjoyed and cheered on. As if this was some Quidditch match.

"We should go." Narcissa declared somberly. Draco gave a grim nod and followed after her, the sound of her heels echoing through the room, soon drowned out by the shuffling of feet. Kyra could feel eyes on her behind her. Several more people had appeared since Kyra and Draco had arriving. Combined with the fifteen or so family members that had been in the room already, there were over twenty witches and wizards filing out of the room.

They moved through clearance efficiently and were led to an enclosed field. Kyra couldn't feel her skin. Her body felt vacant, a walking corpse being paraded around the building. She squeezed Draco's hand, grounding herself but one look assured her he was feeling the same way. His face was drained of color, his eyes glazed over, his mind clearly miles away. He glanced up at her after a second squeeze and seemed to come back. He released her hand and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, stopping as they reached the designated area.

Kyra took a chance to look around, spotting several heads of white-blonde hair filling the crowd. She had never paid much attention to the so-called 'sacred twenty-eight' but she was quite certain that many of them were here. Her heart stopped as she spotted a head of dark hair sheepishly slinking through the archway. Andromeda filed in and tucked herself into the back of the crowd and Kyra shrunk into Draco, hoping making herself smaller would help her hide.

The murmurs dissolved as two armed guards stepped through the gate, Lucius' emaciated frame dragging between them. A monstrous wooden door slammed behind them and they led Lucius to stand before the small crowd. He kept his eyes trained on Narcissa as they brought him directly to her. She offered a meek smile and placed his hands in hers, his chains draped between them. He spoke in a low, gravelly tone that was incomprehensible from mere feet away. A smile graced her porcelain face as she whispered back to him. She placed a light kiss on his lip and the guards gruffly shoved him aside so he was face to face with Draco.

Draco gave a curt nod, though his exterior was visibly crumbling. His face was drawn tight, small wrinkles forming at the edges of his eyes. He took a sharp intake of breath, the corners of his mouth twitching.

"Be safe, Draco. Please." Draco's face fell as a small stream of moisture rushed down his face. "I love you." He froze, his eyes darting around. His chest heaved and another tear fell over his cheek. In one abrupt movement, he lunged forward, his arms flinging around his father's restricted frame. He hugged him tight as the guards shoved Draco back, yanking Lucius back nearly fifteen feet. Another guard subdued Draco, holding him in with the crowd, which he reluctantly caved to.

Kyra's chest tightened as they forced Lucius to his knees. The guard that had been holding Draco back, waved at a door nearly forty feet in the sky. The small, circular door slid open and a hooded figure glided out, swooping toward the ground. Draco flinched, his hand reaching over and tightly grabbing onto Kyra's. This was real, she thought to herself, he was going to die. She was certain she would be sick, she couldn't watch this. She glanced at Draco, agony etched over his dampened face.

The dementor slid closer to Lucius, settling just above him. Kyra was shaking, watching as the dementor pulled back its hood, and closed the gap between them, clamping its shriveled jaw around his mouth. His back pulled toward the sky and Kyra felt Draco press his face into her hair. Her face contorted as he arched further up before the dementor finally detached himself, Lucius' empty body drifting to the ground like October leaves. He landed noiselessly, his body crumpled, his eyes wide and unseeing.

Kyra wrapped her arms around Draco in a shaky embrace, her body still trembling. His body let out a powerful shake as a sob escaped his lips. The guards dragged Lucius' body from the field, leaving the crowd to mourn for a moment.

As the wooden door swung shut behind them, a scream reverberated through the enclosure. Kyra's head snapped toward the scream, watching as a body fell to the ground. The crowd parted and Kyra's breath stopped in her throat as she spotted Andromeda's lifeless figure in the grass. Her head spun wildly and she felt Draco's arm tighten around her, sufficiently keeping her upright for the time being. Her vision was blurred but she saw a figure approaching her and she snapped back to the present, now acutely aware of the wand that was being held in the clearance room to ensure safety. _Safety,_ she thought to herself, the irony was unbearable as she grappled with a woman that had flung herself onto Kyra, forcing her to the ground. Kyra felt a sharp blow to her face as the woman landed a punch on Kyra's jaw. She could hear Draco in the background shouting for the woman to get off before throwing a hard punch, knocking the woman off. Kyra glanced down, spotting Alecto Carrow beside her. The woman quickly got to her feet, hurling a wordless curse at Draco.

Kyra watched in horror as he toppled to the ground, a jarring scream erupting from his lips as he contorted in the grass. She clamored to her feet, lunging at Alecto before a searing pain ripped through her body, the ground quickly coming at her. Her vision darkened rapidly and her consciousness faded, leaving her crumpled in the grass.


	25. Chapter 24

"What do you mean, she's gone?" Draco held the phone back, flinching as Hayden's voice bellowed through the speaker. He was folded up in the hotel bed, the events of the execution still fresh in his mind.

 _He had been hit with the cruciatus curse and fell to the ground. It last for nearly five minutes; sweat had been pouring down his face, the familiar sensation of the curse forcing immense pain to course through his body, the feeling of his bones splintering was nearly unbearable. The curse stopped abruptly and he grasped the ground below his, his eyes coming back into focus but as he looked up, the field was nearly empty. The crowd that had once been that place had dissipated and only his mother remained, along with Andromeda's broken corpse. Draco heaved, a tight knot pulling at his stomach. Looking around frantically, the realization hit him harder and faster than a bolt of lightning; Kyra was gone. Panic swirled round his brain, his breathing labored. Maybe she had escaped. Maybe she was alright. Perhaps the guards came in and helped her get away._

 _Narcissa knelt beside him, pulling him against her, shushing into the matted hair atop his head. He hadn't realized he was sobbing. Loud, strangled gasps for air escaped his lips, tears streaking across his cheeks. This was his fault. Alecto had attacked because of him. She had killed Andromeda because of him. Kyra was hurt and missing and it was all his fault. Just because he was too selfish to go down for the crimes he had commit._

 _"Where is she?" He demanded between strained breaths. His mother looked down at him with pity and regret that made his stomach lurch. Why had he brought her here? It was so unbelievably stupid of him to think they could be safe._

 _"They took her. Alecto and a few of her friends. They attacked her. She was unconscious and they apparated out with her. They had planned this. They must have someone on the inside. Normally, you can't apparate in or out of this enclosure." He hadn't heard anything after she said they took her. His mind went numb and his breathing stopped. The world slowed around him. He could see his mother's lips moving but there was nothing coming out. He felt empty, hollow. This was, arguably, the worst thing that could have happened. She would be tortured and they would likely kill her in the end._

 _Anger swelled in his chest, anger with himself. He should have left her alone. She wanted him to leave her alone and he just kept pushing. He should have known he was dangerous. He had been stupid and selfish and it was going to get her killed; it got Andromeda killed. His head shot up at his mother. Her sister was dead._

Draco shook himself, focusing on the phone call. They would be furious. They would blame him. As they should, he thought. They would think he planned this. That couldn't be further from the truth; this was his worst nightmare. Never in his life had he cared so much about someone. She was the best thing that ever happened to him. He had been drowning for three years, sputtering and trying to keep his head above the water. After the war, he was ready to go down. Nothing seemed worth fighting for and then he met her. He met this strong girl with scars as deep as his. A girl who, despite losing her best friend, stayed gentle and caring and passionate. She was a ray of sunlight shining down into the waves and suddenly it wasn't water he was drowning in, it was her. She gave him something to fight for when he gave up searching. She was the only thing that mattered. If he had been drowning before, now he was simply being swept out to sea. He was lost in her, in the way her eyes crinkled when she laughed, in the way she said his name and his heart stopped, in the way she twirled her hair around her finger, the way that she seemed to have sunshine running through her veins, and the way she made him feel like, for the first time in years, he was worth something. Being swept up in her current was the only worthwhile thing he had done in his life and the idea that someone could believe that he would want anything bad to happen to her made him nauseous.

"Carrow had someone on the inside," He finally spoke aloud, sensing Hayden's impatience, "She was prepared. The moment the guards left, she attacked. She had a wand—we never stood a chance. They used the cruciatus curse on me and while I couldn't see, they knocked her out and apparated away with her. I don't know where they took her but she is in danger and she needs our help." There was a pause and Draco held his breath, unsure how she would react. She was very protective of Kyra, but then, so was Draco.

"How do we find her?"

Hayden's chest heaved as she placed the phone down on the dresser. She crumpled onto her bed, burying her face in her hands. This was real now. Draco and Kyra had warned her but the idea that life could be like this—that life could be dangerous and that they could actually be hurt—that had seemed impossible. There was no way to prepare for the fear that would inevitably come along with this danger. Hayden had scarcely felt true fear in her life. Sure, she hadn't loved heights as a child but Quidditch quickly fixed that for her. Sure, she had been nervous about her first kiss but that was nicely remedied. Hayden had never been one to avoid facing her fears. She prided herself on being brave and on leading the people in her life to do what scared them most but those things had been trivial. What was climbing on a broom or kissing a boy in comparison to battling fully grown, highly advanced dark wizards. Had she even known herself at all? Where was the brave little girl now? The one who marched up to Margot Fasstel and told her that if she spoke to Madison that way again, she would have to fish her wand out from a very unpleasant spot. That girl would have taken one look at this scared, weeping girl and boldly demanded she step up and fight back.

She sucked in her breath, swiped a tear from her cheek, and marched out of her room. Kyra was in trouble—real, life or death, trouble—and now was not the time for Hayden to start being afraid. Derek was planted on the couch where he had been when she left, Eli and George beside him, Sophie and Madison on the floor. Ginny and Luna were in the kitchen compiling something for lunch that was wafting putrid smells throughout the dorm with Neville nervously watching from a few feet away.

Hayden cleared her throat and Derek spun around, smiling at her.

"Did everything go alright?" Her heart sunk as every set of eyes turned to look at her.

"No." She paused, nausea biting at her stomach. Panicked glances were exchanged throughout the dorm, silence falling on their heads. "Carrow was there. She set them up. They took Kyra." Whispers rapidly began to swirl around them and Hayden shook the voices from her head, focusing. "We need to get the others. We have to go now. Draco is waiting for us and we need to get her back. She is in real danger and if we don't go quickly, we may be too late."

Marching through the cobble streets, Hayden couldn't help but worry. Sixteen people was an awful lot of people and they were traipsing through this town with a clear mission. They undoubtedly looked suspicious but there was no use in worrying about it. How, she wondered, they were going to stroll into a hotel, past the front desk, and squeeze into a tiny hotel room was beyond her but there was no time to think. Every second they spent worrying was another second that Kyra was in danger.

As they entered the lobby, she spotted Draco pacing wildly. His face lit up as he saw her, though it seemed to jar him from his current stream of thoughts. He took long strides toward them and immediately wrapped her in a hug. Her body was tight as the hug was unexpected. He had never hugged her, nor anyone else, since they had met. She returned the gesture, realizing how terrified he must have been. He looked a mess, his eyes sunken and bloodshot, and his pale face nearly translucent. His blonde hair was horribly ruffled, as if he hadn't stopped running his fingers through it for days.

"I booked a conference room. Follow me." He abruptly turned and took strides in the opposite direction. She looked wearily at the room and shrugged, waving them forward, putting her long legs to use to catch up to him.

He came to a spot in front of a large, white door, pulling it open and bounding inside. There was a long, wooden table that stretched the length of the room. Several unfamiliar adults sat at the far end, looking somber. The group filed in, Hayden taking a seat beside Draco. She studied the adults for a moment, hoping she could identify one of them from the news. Her thoughts were interrupted as Ron entered the room.

"Mum? Dad?" He exclaimed, rushing forward to greet a set of red heads. They embraced him and followed suite with Ginny, George, Harry, and Hermione. The woman, Mrs. Weasley, as Hayden figured, expressed her relief that they were alright before scolding them for not telling her they were in danger.

The group took up the remainder of the seats and Draco stood, introducing the adults to the rest of the group. There was Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Bill Weasley and his wife, Fleur, 'Professor' McGonagall- as Draco introduced her-, Mrs. Malfoy, and Kyra's parents, who both appeared inconsolable. Tension was high in the room and no one seemed to know how to proceed.

Professor McGonagall stood abruptly and Draco quickly fell into his seat.

"I assume you are all aware of why we are here?" Her sharp voice demanded of them. They shook their heads. "We have quite the battle ahead of us but if you are here, you already know that. Minister Shacklebolt is well aware of the events of the other day and our best aurors are working on tracking down Carrow and her accomplices as we speak." Hayden gulped. This was dangerous enough that the Ministry of Magic was involved. "Though I believe we need to form a plan."

"No offense, Professor," Ron cleared his throat. Every set of eyes shot to him. "But don't you think we should address the elephant in the room?" No one answered.

"What do you refer to, Mister Weasley?" Ron stood abruptly, his chair tipping back and clattering to the floor.

"You know bloody well what I refer to!" Mrs. Weasley shot Ron a warning look but he ignored her. "I'm talking about the two death eaters in the room! The two that dragged Kyra to this in the first place!" Draco shrunk back, though his mother stayed upright. "Are we really expected to believe that they had nothing to do with this? How daft do you think I am, Malfoy?" He turned to face Draco, anger bubbling over. "You think I don't know that this was your plan all along? You know your sodding father took out Chelsea but you figured you should finish his work and take out the pair of them?" Draco exploded out of his chair, lunging forward but his mother gripped his arm, holding him in place.

"Mister Weasley!" McGonagall bellowed, stopping Ron in his tracks. "Kindly, take a seat. As you are well aware, Mister Malfoy was found not guilty and you should do well to remember that." Ron slumped into his seat, his face ablaze.

"All due respect, Professor." Harry interrupted, "Alecto Carrow was also found not guilty. Clearly that wasn't the case." Hayden could see Draco visibly fuming beside her. "How do we know this isn't the same?" Kyra's mother cleared her throat.

"Do you trust Kyra?" She spoke softly. Harry nodded. "I raised my daughter to have excellent judgement. If she trusts Draco, we should as well." The room grew silent, no one making eye contact. "If we are going to make any plan work, we have to trust each other. We will never get her back if we are too busy fighting each other."

"So what's the plan?" Hayden questioned, glancing around the table. As McGonagall opened her mouth to speak, the door burst open. Hayden recognized the Minister of Magic standing in the doorway, out of breath with a parchment in his hand.

"We found them."

Author's Note: Hi so this chapter is a bit short but the next chapter will be pretty long so hopefully that will make up for it! I hope that it wasn't too confusing in this chapter with it not following Kyra. Also, if you haven't seen, I have been going back and editing some older chapters. I have through chapter 6 done right now. I am adding in some details- some stuff about American wizard culture and giving the side characters a little more story. It shouldn't super effect the story but if you are interested, you can check it out!


	26. Chapter 25

Her fingers shook as she picked at an open wound on her knee, shifting uncomfortably on the stone ledge she had slept on the past several nights. Her cheek was covered in a bruise and her jaw hung in a way that led her to believe it was broken. The swelling of her eye caused the small cell around her to appear out of focus as she glanced around.

With her ragged nail, she dragged a line across the stone wall, marking the fourth day she had seen the sun rise through the small window of her cell. Satisfied with her work, she lay back on the ledge, shutting her eyes.

"Kyra!" Draco's voice sounded in the dankness of the stone cell and Kyra bolted upright, quickly making moves to cross the cell, despite her limp. "Stay back!" He shouted and she obliged, backing to far wall. "Reducto!" His voice bellowed, blowing in the cell wall.

Kyra sprinted through the rubble, throwing her arms around Draco. His hands wrapped around her waist as he pulled her in close. Their lips collided and the room spun wildly, a sense of home enveloping her once more.

As she drew back she caught a glimpse of the others crowded where the door once stood. George and Hayden rushed toward her, wrapping her in a hug. She greeted the large group that had come for her, finally reaching the end. She froze as she recognized her parents' concerned faces. Her heart rushed as she offered them nervous hugs.

"We'll discuss this later. For now, we need to get out of here." Her mother regarded her warmly though she knew the sternness that lurked beneath her words.

"She's right, we need to get out before-" Shacklebolt's words were interrupted as he was tossed against the stone wall. Kyra could hardly think to respond before she felt a tug at her hand, pulling her through the hall. Draco led her through the halls of the dungeon, not stopping to look back. Kyra desperately glanced back to see Alecto Carrow, Rodolphus Lestrange, Antonin Dolohov, and Yaxley battling against the group.

After passing through a large door, the stone walls of the dungeon turned to dark wooden floor with paneled walls. They made a sharp right through the hall of the home. She could hear footsteps behind them but didn't dare look back. The mumble of words behind her rang through her ears and she felt her body flying across the hall.

A sharp crack echoed through the elegant hallway as Kyra's back collided with the black wainscoting on the wall. She crumpled onto the wooden floors, Draco rushed to her, kneeling beside her. He leaned over her frame, wrapping her in his arms, assuring she was safe. She felt her back hit the ground once more, the back of her head slammed against it as he dropped her. His screams wrapped around her, strangling her body, paralyzing her. As her vision steadied, she glanced up.

Alecto stood poised, feet from her, her wand aimed at Draco, Dolohov beside her with a wicked grin plastered to his face. Draco's face was shifting, moving in blocks like the earth along fault lines, his bones snapping in dozens of directions. Kyra lunged forward, but Dolohov immobilized her. Her brain screamed as she struggled against his charm, her eyes wide, forced to watch Draco's body contort.

Then as suddenly as it had begun, his body fell to the ground with a thud. His featured returned to normal though his chest heaved, and he continued to drip, blood pooling beneath him. Kyra battled against Dolohov's hex, her body still unmoving. Alecto's eyes connected with hers, a smile snarled across her face. She raised her wand, her dark eyes twinkling.

"Avada Kedavra." She uttered with a finality, jets of green light flitting across the room, Carrow and Dolohov immediately apparating out of sight. Kyra felt the charm lift and her limbs grew heavy once more. Her head spun as she attempted to grasp the situation. Her body felt numb as her eyes fell on Draco's motionless body.

"Draco!" She shouted, moving toward him. She shook his shoulders, her breathing ragged. Her chest tightened as she shook him more. "No, Draco, please." She begged him to wake but he remained still. "You can't leave me, Draco. Please come back. I can't lose you, please!" The icy blue eyes that she had found herself lost in countless times stared without seeing, his white hair falling into his face. Kyra bent over his body, tears burning at the back of her eyes as the realization set in on her. He was gone. She pulled her knees into her chest, tears freely fall from her eyes as she sobbed. Her eyes squeezed shut. What did it matter if she was found? What did anything matter?

Her sobs echoed around her and she lifted her head to see the stone walls of her cell. Her hair was heavily matted, dirt caked onto the skin of her legs and arms. She was alone in the small, stone cell. The large wooden door on the opposite side of the room remained intact. She was sat on the stone ledge, her arms wrapped around her knees, her face wet with tears. Her normally pale arms were red, blood dotted along them, accompanied by swollen scratches. Strands of hair littered the ledge she was curled up on, though the broken bones she had felt moments before no longer existed and her swollen eyes returned to normal.

Reality hit her as it had the past twenty seven times she had come back to the present. Alecto had been forcing potions down her throat since she had arrived, each time forcing her to experience, in vivid Technicolor, a new and horrific scene. She had witnessed Draco die fourteen times. She had witnessed her parents, and Hayden, and George, and everyone she had ever cared about die. She had experienced the sensation of Lacewing Flies under her skin, resulting in an incessant need to claw through to release them. She had experienced a mental anguish that she could never have imagined and each time was certain it was real.

Her heart pounded as she muttered to herself that none of it was real. It seemed odd, feeling thankful to still be locked in the dungeon, however, if it meant Draco was alive, she would stay in there as long as she had to.

Her eyes fell closed in a moment of gratitude but flew open as the familiar pop sounded in her cell. Glancing up, she took in the image of Draco standing before her. He was joined by Neville, George, Hayden, and Professor McGonagall. Jumping to her feet, she rushed toward them, Draco not hesitating to sweep her up in a tight hug, spinning her round.

"Thank Merlin you're alive, Kyra." He whispered between kisses, holding her close. Kyra felt the burn of tears rolling down her cheeks again, unable to respond. "Come on, we have to go." Her chest restricted at his words, a sense of déjà vu washing over her in waves. Surely this wasn't happening again. "Take my hand." She did as he said, her mind numb as she willed away thoughts of her past hallucinations.

The group of them apparated from the cell, landing in a stretch of green just outside an enormous Victorian style home. Kyra glanced around, spotting nearly a dozen of her friends as well as her parents scattered across the lawn. She eyed Draco, though he was intently watching the front door, waiting. After a few moments of silence, the door burst open, five others pouring out, sprinting full speed toward them. The door opened a moment later and Carrow, Dolohov, and Yaxley barreled into the yard, hurling curses at them.

"Everyone, let's go!" McGonagall bellowed, apparating from the yard. Draco followed suit, taking Kyra with him. They arrived then in what appeared to be a conference room. A long table stretching the length of the room, chairs on every side.

Kyra collapsed onto the ground, gripping Draco tight. He pulled her against his chest, kissing the top of her head gingerly. He was alive. They had made it out alive. She could hear the pops as everyone else arrived in the room but she couldn't bring herself to open her eyes. That was, until the sounds of screams filled the space around her.

Looking up she simply saw a dozen bodies. There were people standing everywhere. She couldn't see anything around them but the screaming hadn't subsided.

"He was hexed! We were trying to get out but they hexed him! We have to do something, please!" Ginny's voice cried out from across the room, Kyra pushed herself up, rushing across the room to see what had happened, the pit in her stomach growing with every step.

Neville was lying on the ground, a pool of blood beneath him, dozens of lacerations covering his body. McGonagall was attempting a spell to counteract the hex but the blood was pouring out faster than she could stop it. Kyra knelt beside him, grasping his hand.

"Hang in there, it's going to be alright." She whispered, McGonagall's voice still looming above them. He was spattering then, blood beginning to drip from his mouth and he shut his eyes. "No, no, stay with me, Neville. Please!" His eyes lazily fluttered open for a moment but quickly fell shut again. "Please, Neville, come on. It's alright! Please stay with me!" His eyes remained closed and McGonagall's voice came to a halt. Kyra glanced up at her. Why had she stopped? He still needed help! There was blood everywhere! She had to continue!

The old witch knelt down beside Kyra, placing a hand on Neville's arm, shutting her eyes, a frown plastered to her face.

"No, why did you stop? You have to keep going!" Kyra demanded. McGonagall gave a sympathetic look.

"It's too late, Kyra. He's gone." She spoke quietly, tears welling in her eyes. Kyra had never seen McGonagall cry.

"No, that's not possible. He's not gone. Professor please, You have to keep going!" McGonagall simply returned her gaze to the motionless boy on the ground. Kyra felt a hand on her shoulder but she shook it off. "No," She wept, "No, he can't be gone." Then it dawned on her. "This isn't real. This is just another hallucination. None of this is real." She squeezed her eyes shut, "I'm just going to close my eyes and wake up back in my cell." She took a deep breath and opened her eyes again. Neville lay still before her. "No." She whispered. "No, this isn't real. It can't be. It can't be real. I'm going to wake up." She stood, backing away from Neville, tears threatening to fall. "This is just another hallucination. It has to be. He can't be gone. He can't be." She felt Draco's arms around her but pushed him off. "No. He's not gone. This isn't real." She repeated once more to herself, squeezing her eyes shut, willing everything to disappear. Her breathing caught in her throat and a sob escaped, her body beginning to shake. What was real? When would she wake up from this nightmare? Surely this was just a nightmare, just another form of torture. Neville couldn't be dead. That wasn't possible. Her head spun and she felt her back against the wall, her hand feeling behind her, desperate for the stone of her cell but all she felt was wallpaper. This was going on longer than usual. Her hallucination should have ended by now. This shouldn't be happening anymore.

She hardly felt the tears streaming down her face or the strength of Draco's arms around her. She didn't have the power to resist him this time, allowing herself to melt into him.

"This isn't real. This isn't real. This isn't real." She repeated in a whisper. "This isn't real. This isn't real. This isn't real…"


	27. Chapter 26

With shallow breath, Draco paced through the carpeted hallway of the hotel. He paid no mind to the ornate muggle paintings that lined the walls, his mind millions of miles away. They had to leave soon but how could they? His nerves were alight and it seemed impossible that he could stay composed long enough to make this work.

He ran a shaky hand through his unwashed hair, ignoring the slick feeling of the grease that now gathered on his hands. His jaw was tight as he pushed open the door to the conference room once more. Everyone was gathered around the table, solemn and calculating. His nerves were not comforted by the matched expressions of everyone around him.

Jumping, he felt a hand on his shoulder. "We're going to get her. Don't worry about it, Draco. She's going to be okay and we're going to bring her home safe and sound." Neville voiced the words he needed to hear, though he didn't quite believe them. Draco gave him a tight lipped smile and drew a deep breath.

Perhaps their plan would go as expected. Perhaps they would rescue her and she would leave there safely. However, she had been gone for over a week and had undoubtedly endured unspeakable torture. Alecto was a master in torture of all sorts. Draco swallowed hard, Kyra would never be the same after this. It was his fault this was happening to her. He was responsible for what would inevitably be the destruction of the once vivacious, empathetic, vibrant girl with a smile that could light up the world. Her smile would fade after this, incapable of forgetting the horrors she had withstood.

That was, if she wasn't already dead. The words halted the breath in Draco's throat. He hadn't allowed the thought into his mind before. However, now it was there, swirling in his brain, his worst fear echoing over and over. The room began to spin around him, despite his best efforts to steady it. Stumbling toward the door once more, images filled his head of Kyra's body lifeless in Carrow's dungeon, and he felt nausea rising in him like the tides. His breathing ragged, he hardly felt hands on his shoulders, bracing him.

"Malfoy?" His professor's voice broke through the hysteria of his panic attack. "Malfoy are you alright? Here, take a seat, please." He felt himself being pushed into a wooden chair, sweat licking at his forehead. "We are preparing to leave soon, I think it best that you remain here. We need to be ready for anything and you look as though you'll be ill. Stay here with Mrs. Harding and get better. We will bring her back as soon as we can." Clarity crashed in on him in a wave and he stood abruptly, suddenly closer to McGonagall than he expected.

"No, I have to go. I'm fine. I'm ready. Let's go." He demanded, his voice unwavering, silently pleading his demeanor would convince her. This was his fault, he couldn't stay behind and allow these people to risk their lives. He squared his shoulders in hopes he would appear more capable with better posture.

"It's best you stay here. I believe you're emotionally compromised. It is safest for all of us if you stay here." Draco huffed, running a hand through his hair. "Don't let your emotions threaten the lives of us all." Taking a step back, his eyes flitted across the faces in the room, each filled with apprehension and a willingness to avoid eye contact with him. He couldn't risk hurting them in some act of unnecessary bravado. They would bring Kyra home safe, the way it should be. He didn't deserve the praise that came with a rescue mission. He had done more than enough in this situation.

His eyes felt heavy as his head fell, taking in only the sight of the faded rug. With a nod, he took a seat, accepting his fate. Perhaps this was best.

The room fell into hurried whispers as they rushed around the room, finalizing the plan. After several minutes of picking at the skin around his nails, Draco heard the first pop and glanced up. One by one the group disappeared, leaving him to bask in his anxiety. The pit in his stomach grew with each passing second and he was desperately wishing to be far away from the drab conference room. The heavy set drapes blocked out light and left the room feeling stale.

His head swirling and thoughts nearly drowning him, Draco hardly noticed as Mrs. Harding took a seat beside him. She locked her eyes on his slumped figure, unsure how to proceed. As she cleared her throat, his head snapped up and he glanced at her. She looked eerily similar to her daughter, the dark, crimson hair pulled into a messy bun atop her head and the same eyes bore into him. He felt his mouth dry up in a swelling fit of nerves. He had yet to speak to Kyra's mother and he was certain she would not be pleased with him. Not that he felt he could blame her; he had done nothing but make Kyra's life harder since he came into him. Hell, before he even knew her, he was making her life harder.

"I don't believe we've had the chance to acquaint ourselves. I'm Lydia Harding." Draco drew his mouth in tight, swallowing the lump in his throat and offered his hand.

"Draco Malfoy. I'm glad to finally meet you, ma'am." He spoke sincerely. He had wanted to meet her mother, just not under these particular circumstances. "I'm so sorry for all of this. I never wanted Kyra to get hurt. I care a lot about her and I would do anything to keep her safe." The frown lines of Lydia's face were evident. She had, no doubt, enduring a grueling year.

"I don't blame you, Draco." He blinked several times, clearly he had heard her wrong. "Kyra is a smart, strong girl- always has been. If she chose to let you into her life, she did so with the utmost thought. Nothing you, nor I could have done would have deterred her from making the exact same decisions she did." A meek smile played at the edges of Draco's lips as he nodded. "Believe me, I tried to blame you. I know your family. I have hated your family for nearly two decades and when I heard the news I was certain you were to blame. However, I've had time to think. Time to realize that if Kyra trusted you- if she let you in- she knew you weren't the same as your family." Picking at his nails once more, he glanced down.

"I'm not like my father, Mrs. Harding."

"Lydia." She insisted.

"Lydia. I'm not my family, as Kyra has reminded me time and again. But I can't help feeling she would have continued believing it. I may not have done this to her but I'm still responsible." He couldn't believe the words pouring out of his mouth. He had been diligent in keeping these thoughts to himself, however, now he seemed to have unleashed the gates. The words wouldn't stop. "Her life would have been easier without me. I care about your daughter more than I've ever cared about anything. But that means that if I could have stopped her from meeting me, I would. I've done nothing but bring her pain and she has had enough pain in her life already. My family has already done so much harm to her, I wish I could go back. She deserves better than me and I only wish I could do something about it." He finally brought himself to look at her again. A smile was lighting up her face, the same kind eyes as her daughter staring back at him.

"Draco, nothing you could have done would have stopped Kyra. But take that with pride. She chose you, against all odds. She knew the risks and still chose you. So take that and run. If you feel she deserves better, then be better. She will be back here by the end of the day and you will have all the time in the world to treat her exactly the way you believe she should be. She chose you, just accept that and make yourself worthy of it."

Hayden's chest heaved as she sprinted through the stone halls of the dungeon. Though they appeared vacant, time was of the essence. The group came to a halt outside an enormous wooden door and McGonagall quickly maneuvered the lock, throwing open the door. Her, Neville, George, McGonagall, and Harry had pushed their way into the small cell and glanced around. Curled up in a corner, Kyra's hair was matted all along her head with claw marks decorating her arms. Hayden rushed toward, sweeping her up in a hug. Kyra lay limply in her arms, eyes glazed.

After pulling back and releasing her, Hayden allowed Neville in to hug her. Kyra's once feeble body sprung to life, scooting away from him.

"No! You're dead! This isn't real. You can't be real." Neville glanced around, panicked, pleading for answers. "Get back! Get away from me. This isn't real. This isn't real!" She was shouting at nearly full volume now, her words echoing around the cell.

"She's clearly suffering from delusions. Let's get her out. We can deal with this later." McGonagall insisted. Neville shuffled away, head hung. George moved in, scooping her up and carrying her toward the door.

"He's dead, George. You're dead. This isn't real. This can't be real. Put me down!" She squirmed in his arms but he held firm, whisking through the halls. Hayden watched in horror as she thrashed. "Stop it! Let me down! I can't leave! They won't let me leave! If I leave, they'll kill you!" She moved with less insistence this time, her debilitated body running out of steam.

"None of us are dead, Kyra. Everyone is okay. We're going to get you out of here." He insisted, gingerly patting her hair.

"No, this is just another nightmare. You have to go back. They'll kill you!" Her voice was hoarse and hardly achieving any volume.

"Don't worry, Ky. No one is going to hurt us." With a final step into the grass, George apparated out of sight with Kyra in his arms. McGonagall followed suit, Harry quickly disappearing as well.

Hayden turned to Neville. "Don't worry. She's going to be okay. Who knows what happened in there? But she'll be safe now and—"

Her words were cut off by the sound of metal crashing to the floor. Hayden ran in, abandoning all thought.

Draco flew out of his seat at the sound of the first pop, spotting McGonagall across the room.

"How is she? Is she alright?" He insisted, rushing toward her. Another pop sounded and he spun to see George cradling her in his arms. Draco was at his side in a moment, taking her from George and pulling her tight into his chest. The sting of tears burned his eyes for a moment before they came barreling down his cheeks. The world faded into nothing as he held her. She was alive and she was safe and nothing else in the world mattered anymore.

"Draco?" She croaked, tears pooling in her eyes as well. "You're alive?" Her legs were collapsing beneath her but Draco kept her upright. "I thought…I thought you were dead. I watched you die. I watched…you and George and Neville and Hayden. I don't understand." Draco nuzzled his face in her neck, the scent of sweat and dirt filling his nose. He had never cared less. In that moment, sweat and dirt were the greatest scents in the world because they meant she was alive and in his arms.

"I'm alive, Ky. We're all alive. You don't have to worry anymore. We're safe now." He could hear the occasional pops and the room filled but there was nothing in the world that could convince him to let her leave him arms. He had her back and there was no way in hell he was ever letting go.


End file.
